Merely Human
by The Lady Kagome
Summary: Kagome catches Inuyasha with Kikyo and runs . . . what into Sesshoumaru what happens next will love or hate take place in this palace
1. Chapter 1

She knelt on the ground as he approached, briny smell of tears rising from the damp earth before him, and though she reeked of his brother's scent, his other senses detected no trace of the hanyou brat.

They stayed in their respective positions for a long time, her on the ground, staring up at him with a look of deep despair splashed across her face, him standing above her, staring down with cold disdain.

"Just do it if you're going to," she said at last. Her voice was rough, carrying with it a tale of hours of ragged weeping.

He blinked, slowly, deliberately, as if to ask what, exactly she thought he was going to do.

Her chin tilted up a fraction more, baring the white column of her throat. "Do it," she urged. "Finish it. I'm done. I quit. I give up. Just finish what he started and get it over with."

"Finish what?" he condescended to ask. His brother's bitch was a strange female, even for a human.

Her eyes rolled a little, and his eyebrows lifted a fraction. She dared to show impertinence to Lord Sesshoumaru?

"Kill me," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Your damned brother's done the job from the inside. You may as well finish it from the outside."

"Where is Inu-Yasha?"

She sighed, another impertinent sound. "I don't know," she said simply. "And right now, I don't care. Far away from here, I hope."

This was genuinely puzzling. The wench had hung on the hanyou's every word for two years. What could have caused so drastic a change in her outlook? "Why?" he asked bluntly.

"That's none of your business," she retorted, temper flaring.

"Then don't presume to give me your opinion, wench," he snapped back.

"My name's not wench," she shouted, unraveling. "My name's Kagome! Not wench, girl, hey, you or bitch." She spat the last with more invective than he would have thought possible. "Ka! Go! Me!"

"Very well, Ka-go-me," he said, biting off each syllable. "Where is Inu-Yasha?" he demanded again.

"I told you, I don't know. He's not here, and that's fine with me."

He sniffed the air delicately, nose wrinkling with the assault of smells upon it. "You are his mate," he said. "Surely you know where he can be found."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She shook her head, pushing herself to her feet. "I don't even know what I'm doing here." She turned to walk away, muttering to herself.

This was more insult that Sesshoumaru was willing to let pass, even from his brother's bitch. His hand shot out, catching her around the arm.

"You're not going anywhere, Ka-go-me."

Kagome shivered at the prick of claws on her arm. When had that slight pain become a sensation she craved so much? When had it all gone so wrong? And why had Sesshoumaru allowed her to live?

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I told you what I wanted," he hissed.

"I told you I don't know where he is," she screamed back. "He wants me dead! I don't want to know where he is!"

Sesshoumaru's warm soft boa wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides, and his hand slid up to cup her chin firmly, tilting her head from side to side as he peered at the sides of her neck. "I can smell him on you, _in _you. Where is his mark?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she gritted out, his hand all but immobilizing her chin.

"You mated with him, did you not? I fail to see what else could create such a stench. So that means you know where he is."

"Shut UP! I DON'T want to talk about that!" She yanked her chin free, though she was still wrapped in a silky but firm embrace. "He..." she struggled to get her words out. "He hates me now. Nothing else is important."

The Demon Lord of the Western Lands glared at her for a moment, then rose silently into the air, Kagome still tight in his grip. She squirmed, trying to free herself, until she realized just how far above the ground they were. Much, much too far to fall down again safely.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, voice breaking.

"You are perhaps the most important thing to my brother, aside from the Tetsusaiga. You might be very useful to me."

"Not anymore," she said quietly, slumping in dismay.

She knelt at the low table, tracing the intricate inlay work with her eyes. A cup of tea sat cooling before her, untouched.

Sesshoumaru stood near the door, hands tucked into the voluminous sleeves of his white kimono. "Why does my brother desire your death?" he asked bluntly.

"That's personal," she said quickly. "It's really none of your business."

He glared down at her. "It is my business. You are, for the moment, a guest in my home. If my idiot brother is going to try to tear down the walls to get to you, I have a right to know why."

She started to push herself to her feet to leave, but his glare intensified and she remained where she was. "I'm not much of a guest if I can't leave when I want, now am I?"

"If you wish to be a prisoner, I can have you moved to quarters more befitting that station. Or you can stay here and be my guest."

She glared back at him for a moment, then dropped her eyes, nodding. "All right. Guest, then."

"Good. Now, what happened?"

"It really is very personal, Sesshoumaru-san," she said hesitantly. "I don't care to make the details of my private-"

"I told you already, I know you and the hanyou mated. You are keeping no secrets on that front." Sesshoumaru snapped. "If the rift between you occurred after that, then you may begin there."

She nodded and swallowed. "Hai. When I woke up, Kikyo-"

"The dead miko?"

"Yes. She was there when I woke up. Inu-Yasha was talking to her. I couldn't hear what they were saying. Then she looked at me, and I saw her smile. She started to drag Inu-Yasha to Hell again. I just... I snapped. I grabbed my bow, and I shot her."

"And this troubled Inu-Yasha?" Sesshoumaru asked. The thought of a female fighting or killing another female to keep his attention and affection seemed perfectly acceptable to him. Endearing, even.

She nodded. "I didn't just shoot her once. I didn't shoot to warn her away. I shot..." She pause, taking a deep breath. "I shot every arrow I had at her. I purified the body she'd been given. She was a pile of ash, cloth and spent shafts by the time I was done."

"I still don't see the connection."

"Don't you get it? He LOVED her. He was going to HELL for her. And I killed her. He promised to protect her, and I killed her." She dropped her head on folded arms, weeping.

"Did I not hear him more than once promise to protect you as well?"

She lifted her head a little and nodded. "Hai."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "My brother is an idiot."

Kagome's head came up, eyes flaring. "Don't EVER say that!"

"Listen to me, Kagome, and listen well. I am not affected by my father's weakness for human females, but even I know that a living, breathing woman is better than a shambling corpse reeking of the charnel house. You would never have been first in his heart. You are better off without him."

"Shut up!" she screamed. "Shut up, Shut Up! SHUT UP! He LOVED me!"

"Your soul, maybe, if I understand the tales correctly. Tell, me, how does it feel to know he preferred that stinking recreation to you?"

"Go away!" She jumped up from the table and threw herself at him, pounding on his chest. "Go away! I HATE you!"

He picked her up easily and dropped her, none too gently, on a futon. "Suit yourself." Before she could struggle out of the cushions, he had gone. Kagome flopped back on the futon and cried herself to sleep.

It was dark when she woke, the scent of steamed rice and broiled fish tempting her from sleep. She picked listlessly at a few bites, then pushed the remainder away, appetite suddenly gone. She stood, wandering the room, taking in the furnishings and decorations. It was clearly designed to be a full-time bedroom, the futon set on a low platform, cabinets and various works of art lining the walls. One in particular caught her eye, a tall man, with silvery hair and Inu-Yasha's white ears, looking down with pride on a beautiful dark-haired woman holding a platinum-haired infant in her arms. The baby's own white ears were just barely visible.

Kagome reached out and touched one careful finger to the image. "Inu-Yasha..." she said softly. That would never be them, she thought sadly. He would never look at her again with that kind of warmth and caring. For all she knew, the next time she saw him could be her last moment on earth, be it past or future.

She was startled from her reverie by a soft tap at the door. "Hai?"

"Forgive me, Lady," a woman's voice said. "Sesshoumaru-sama instructed me to see to your needs."

"Come in."

The door slid open, and a woman in a plain kimono came in, closing the door behind her. She went immediately to the table and began to clear the barely-touched dishes. "May I bring your Ladyship something else to eat?"

"No, thank you. I'm not very hungry. Is Sesshoumaru-san still here?"

"No, my Lady. He left several hours ago. I am to see that you have everything you require. Would you care to make use of the bathhouse? Sesshoumaru-sama also said you were to wear any of the kimono in this room you wish." Dishes gathered, she moved to open the cabinets, displaying shelf after shelf of exquisite silk robes. Another cabinet revealed stacks of heavily embroidered obi. Kagome fingered the worn material of her uniform. Even though her high school fuku came with a slightly longer skirt, it was still scandalously short for the Sengoku Jidai.

"I'd just like a yukata for now," she said, hesitant to touch the heavy silks before she had bathed. "I guess I'll pick something out when I get back here."

"Of course, my Lady. And may this unworthy one say that it is very considerate of you to wait until after your bath before wearing the late Lady's kimono."

"These belonged to Inu-Yasha's mother?"

The woman winced at the name. Apparently, Inu-Yasha was a sore subject around the castle. "These were the quarters of the Lady Machiko during her time here. She chose not to take her things when she moved back to her father's house after the death of the Tai-Youkai."

"Inu-Yasha's father," Kagome murmured.

"Please, Lady, for your own sake, do not repeat the name of the young lord too often, especially in the Lord's vicinity. He has gone into the most terrible rages when others have done so."

Kagome snorted. "Well, the only thing Sesshoumaru and I have in common is Inu-Yasha, so he's just going to have to get used to it."

"Please, Lady, please. Do not mention his name. It is better, in this place, if he does not exist." 

Kagome looked up at the portrait. "I suppose so. I'd like to go to the bathhouse now. And while I'm gone, I'd like someone to remove that picture." _After all, it's better if he doesn't exist. Isn't it?_

The bath was one of the best Kagome had seen in the Sengoku Jidai, somehow tapping into an underground hot spring and a reservoir of cold water, both flowing out of beautifully carved taps.

The serving woman, Hana, had offered to help her clean up before her soak, and Kagome had given in, allowing the girl to scrub her back and wash her hair before slipping into the pool of perfectly warmed water.

She was drifting in and out of sleep when the door opened again and a happy squeal filled the room.

"Kagome-chan! Sesshoumaru-sama didn't tell his Rin you were here!" She ran to the edge of the pool and dropped to her knees. "Can Rin soak in the pool with you?"

Kagome had to smile at the girl's enthusiasm. Despite his cold exterior, there had to be some good in Sesshoumaru, not only to resurrect Rin, but to keep her at his home and clearly make her so happy. "Sure, Rin-chan." She waited while the girl quickly scrubbed herself and rinsed off and slid into the pool with her.

"Mmmm. Rin's very glad you're here, Kagome-chan. When Sesshoumaru-sama and his old Jaken go out, she gets lonely sometimes."

"He doesn't leave you here alone, does he, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked.

"No… not alone, not really. But the servants don't really talk to Rin. It's not the same as going places with Sesshoumaru-sama. But after the Feather Lady stole Rin once, Sesshoumaru-sama said Rin would be safer here. No one ever comes here."

"So what do you do?"

"Ano, Rin picks flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama, and draws pictures sometimes. And sometimes Hana-chan plays with Rin. But mostly Rin just sits outside in the garden. Do you want to sit in the garden with me, Kagome-chan?"

"Hmmm. We'll see." Surely she could find something better for the little girl to do than sit ignored in a garden. "Do you know how to read, Rin-chan?"

"No. Rin never learned to read. But she can fish, and she knows what plants are good to eat," the girl replied brightly.

_Of course,_ Kagome thought. _Practical education. Maybe we can do something about that._ "Do you want to learn? I know how, and it might be fun for you."

"Ano..."

"I think Sesshoumaru-san would be pleased," Kagome said, sweetening the pot. "Think how happy he'd be to see how smart you are."

"You think Sesshoumaru-sama would be happy?"

"Oh, absolutely!" _Of course, I have no idea. For all I know, he likes his women dumb as sticks. Too bad. Ack! What am I thinking?! I'm NOT going to be Sesshoumaru's woman!_ "Of course he will!" _He'll just have to deal. _

The little girl was a quick study, Kagome had to admit a few days later. They'd moved through the kanji, then into the katakana and hiragana. More than once, Kagome longed for the textbooks she'd shoved carelessly into her yellow backpack. There was a library room down the corridor from her own room, and she'd been assured by the servants that her presence there would be no offense, but it wasn't the same. Her English text, history, math. There was so much more she could show the little girl, if only she had the tools.

Rin had taken to numbers with a facility that amazed Kagome. Basic computations, sum, differences, products, quotients, seemed to dance around the child. In no time, Kagome was sure, Rin would be moving with ease through the complex theorems of algebra that left Kagome's head hurting. Convinced it would please her precious Sesshoumaru-sama, everything the little girl did seemed to turn to gold.

They had lessons morning and afternoon both, taking advantage of the beautiful garden to study sometimes. And it was enough, if one went to bed early enough and got up late enough, to fill the time. Almost.

"Kagome-sensei?"

That had been the first lesson, that Kagome the teacher and Kagome the friend were different. And while the sensei would be strict, her friend still loved her. "Hai, Rin-san?" And respect was a two-way street.

"Sesshoumaru-sama's been gone a long time."

"Has he?" Kagome asked. She knew well how long it had been. 14 days, the last few more excruciating than the rest. Certain facts were becoming clear to her, and though the servants couldn't help but notice, she'd tried to keep it from the little girl. "How long does Sesshoumaru-san normally go out for?"

"A few days, mostly, or a week. Since he brought Rin here-"

"Say 'atashi,' not 'Rin,'" Kagome corrected gently.

"Hai, Sensei." She began again. "Since he brought me here, he's never been gone this long."

Kagome shook off a chill. _If he doesn't return, who will protect…. Shut up. You'll learn to protect yourself. _ "I'm sure he'll be back soon, Rin-san. And if anything had happened, that nasty old Jaken would have come blubbering in here to whine at us."

The girl giggled. "About how it was all our fault." She sobered. "I don't ever want anything to happen to Sesshoumaru-sama."

Kagome smiled. "Of course you don't. Now let's see your paper." She checked through the girl's answers quickly. "My goodness, Rin-san. At this rate you'll know everything I know soon."

"Admirable," a voice said from behind them. "Assuming anything you know is of value."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin jumped to her feet and ran to embrace the youkai lord. "I missed you!"

He put a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. "Go inside now, Rin," he said softly. "Tell Jaken to give you your present. Tell him _I_ said to."

Her grin broadened, if possible. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She squeezed him once again, then turned back to Kagome and bowed. "Arigato gozaimasu, Kagome-sensei."

Kagome nodded. "Do what Sesshoumaru-san says now, Rin." The little girl turned and ran inside.

"What have you been teaching her?" Sesshoumaru asked, gliding across the short grass of the garden.

Kagome shrugged, gathering the parchment. "Reading, writing, a little mathematics. She's a very bright child."

Sesshoumaru reached down and pulled her to her feet, papers sliding from her grasp. "Why?"

She looked at the ground. "Something to do, for both of us. She doesn't have a lot of opportunities here to make friends."

"Friends are a weakness," he sneered.

"Not necessarily," she shot back.

"You were friends with my brother, were you not? It was not of benefit to you in the end," he pointed out.

"No, I suppose it wasn't. Maybe he and I weren't friends. But I do have friends."

"Indeed." He turned and moved away, then looked back at her. "Come with me."

She followed, surprised when he only led her back to her room. "Sesshoumaru-san, what…?"

"The exterminator and the monk were among your friends, yes?" he interrupted.

"Yes."

"There were concerned over your whereabouts, and your safety. Once they were finally assured you were well, the monk gave me that." He pointed, and she noticed for the first time her giant yellow backpack, resting in a corner. "He seemed to think it would be of use to you."

She went to the corner quickly, hefting the bag onto the futon platform and opening it. She hadn't been home to modern times for a while, so her stores of food were all but gone. But her personal things, her brush, her pictures, the things that kept her connected to who she was were all there. And her books. 

"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-san. Now I can start teaching Rin English, and when she's ready for algebra, I've got the book…" She was talking more to herself than him as she pulled things from the pack.

"But why are you teaching her at all? Females have no need-"

"Everyone has need of an education where I come from," she said, cutting him off. "Even females. And she's very smart."

"And you wish to do this, to educate her?"

"Yes. It gives me something to do all day beside sitting around thinking of Inu-"

"Do not finish that sentence. Educate the child if you wish. See that she learns manners and to comport herself as a lady as well. Consider yourself her primary caretaker."

"She already thinks of you that way, Sesshoumaru-san. She's very attached to you."

"To me? I, Sesshoumaru, have no interest in the care or raising of human females." He turned in a swirl of silk and fur and strode out of the room.

Kagome sighed. "Well, you've done all right so far."

The morning started like the previous few had; a wonderful moment between sleeping and waking while she wallowed in the soft warmth of the futon, then the over whelming urge to race from the bed. She knelt over the enameled basin in the corner, coughing and retching through wave after wave of nausea.

She huddled over the bowl, arms wrapped around her waist, eyes squeezed shut, trying desperately to quell the roiling of her stomach. A warm hand touched the back of her neck, gathering her hair back and holding it as she dry-heaved a final time.

Spams past, she sat up, eyes still closed, leaning against the body next to her. And she realized quickly that it wasn't the servant Hana next to her, but a harder masculine form. She cracked one eye to see a vista of white silk, silvery hair and a fluffy boa.

"Goman nasei, Sesshoumaru-san," she whispered, trying to move away. The hand on the back of her neck held her firmly, though.

"Clear it away," he directed, and Hana hurried in to take the noxious basin out. There was a pattering of feet in the hall.

"Rin," Kagome whispered. "She doesn't know..."

He looked down at her, then turned his head toward the door. "Rin, wait outside." The pattering stopped almost immediately. He looked back down at her. "How long have you been ill?"

Her hair was like a leash in his hand. She could go no where until he released her. "Just the last few mornings. It's nothing, Sesshoumaru-san."

"No, it is not." She heard him inhale deeply, could almost sense him sorting through her scent. "You were fertile when you mated with my brother."

"I... I suppose so. Human females... We count our cycles differently." Her cheeks flamed red with embarrassment.

He looked down at her, eyes narrowing. "I fail to see how a discussion of a natural occurrence could produce such a reaction."

"It's a private matter to most women, Sesshoumaru-san. Not something often discussed in mixed company." She leaned away, ignoring the pull on her hair. "May I rise?"

He released his hold on her hair, stepping away. "What do you intend to do now?"

"Have some tea and rinse my mouth, maybe eat a little breakfast, get dressed and meet Rin for our morning lesson." She stood slowly.

"What do you intend to do about my brother's child?"

There were herbs, she knew. Kaede had explained the use of many medicinal plants. "I'm keeping the baby. Regardless of Inu-Yasha's involvement, this is my baby, and I want it."

"He is searching for you, you know."

She nodded. "I know. I don't intend to leave the compound."

"You wish to remain here, then, under my protection?"

Her head dipped. "Hai. Onegai, Sesshoumaru-san. Allow me to remain."

He regarded her for a long moment. "Very well. Continue to work with Rin, as your... condition allows. I will make arrangements for a mid-wife when it becomes necessary."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-san."

He left before she lifted her head.

"Now, Kagome-chan?"

"Not yet." She knelt on one knee behind the girl, making subtle adjustments to her stance and grip. "Now close your eyes, and see where the arrow's going to hit in your head. Imagine it leaving the bow and flying to the center of the target. Can you see it?"

"Hai. I see it."

"Good. Open your eyes, and make it happen."

Rin opened her eyes and freed the arrow. It whistled across the garden and hit the target with a solid _thunk_. It wasn't a bull's-eye, but she had landed in one of the outer rings.

"Good job, Rin! You hit it."

"Yay! I did it! I did it!" She jumped up and down, then threw herself at Kagome, overbalancing the older girl and sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Oof!"

"Rin!" The little girl's celebration was cut short by Sesshoumaru's voice. "Inside, now!"

She dropped the bow instantly, cowering at the harsh tone of his voice. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured, running into the castle.

"You didn't have to do that," Kagome protested, trying to move into a position so she could stand.

"She could have seriously injured you," he said, picking her up and setting her on her feet.

She shook his grip off. "Why do you always treat me like some porcelain doll?" she demanded.

Faster than the eye could follow, his hand was on her cheek, thumb tracing her cheekbone, claw just millimeters below her eyelashes. "Because to me, you are just that fragile," he replied evenly. "Only the tiniest bit more force, the slightest slip on my part, and all this effort would be in vain. And I, Sesshoumaru, do nothing in vain."

She lifted her chin a little, feeling his hand slip down from her face. "So all I am to you is part of some plot to get back at Inu-Yasha?" she asked, deliberately throwing the hanyou's name in his face.

"And your presence here, in my castle, is not the same? Be glad, human, that you are worth as much effort to me as you are. Others have died for less."

"I'm sure they have." She dipped her head and turned to walk away, one hand resting protectively on her rounded abdomen.

_Not much longer now,_ Sesshoumaru thought. _And I can only hope she has the strength to survive. Or all of this has been wasted effort._

"Why did you not go home?"

"What?"

"I assume you have one. Why did you not go home after my brother betrayed you?"

They were sitting in his library after dinner. He frequently requested her company in the evenings, though many times he would merely sit and read to himself or write, ignoring her completely for an hour or two before dismissing her for the evening. But tonight, it seemed, he wanted to talk. And about her, no less.

"I, ah... I tried. I couldn't get back."

"Why not?"

"The way was... blocked. I couldn't get through."

He studied her a moment. "Explain."

She sighed. "My home is... It's in the future. I was brought to this time through the Bone-Eater's Well in Inu-Yasha's Forest. A centipede-youkai dragged me through, trying to get the Shikon no Tama. I woke Inu-Yasha and he stopped her. Then the Jewel was shattered, and we started the quest. The rest, you probably know already."

"I heard the rumors while searching for my father's tomb," he agreed. "A young miko in strange clothing, the reincarnation of the bitch who enchanted my brother."

"Sometimes I think you actually care about him, the way you talk," she said hesitantly.

"He is my father's blood. If anyone kills him, it will be me."

"And yet you didn't. I've seen it myself, Sesshoumaru-san. There were many times you could have killed Inu-Yasha if you really wanted him dead, and yet you walked away. Why?"

He looked away, turning toward the fire. "It's late. Go to bed."

"Why didn't you kill him, Sesshoumaru?"

"Konbanwa, Kagome-san." He rose and left her with the dying fire.

The midwife, one of the lesser youkai who had served the Inutaisho, slipped out the door and approached Sesshoumaru deferentially. "Well?" he asked.

"My Lord, she's exhausted. She will not last much longer."

"You are certain?"

"My Lord, it's a miracle she's lasted as long as she has. Any other human…"

"Very well. I will explain the situation to her. She will be ready to continue in a few minutes."

"You believe she will accept, my Lord?"

"For herself, never. For the sake of the child? She will do anything."

She lay curled on her side, panting through the pain. _What did they say on all those shows? Breathe through the pain? Yeah, right._ She curled herself up tighter as another wave of cramps washed over her. "Ow, ow, ow…"

"Kagome?"

She clenched her teeth until the worst of the pain had passed. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-san?"

He stared down at her, an unfamiliar expression on his face. "The midwife is concerned. She believes you will not survive on your own."

"Women… have babies… all the time… Sesshoumaru-san. I'll manage."

He came closer, settling on the edge of the bed and brushing a tendril of her damp hair back, a strangely tender gesture. "No, you will not. Hanyou births are difficult under the best of circumstances. A human woman requires the strength of her youkai mate just to have a chance of surviving."

She shook her head. "No. I don't want him here. And he's not my mate. It was just a one-time thing." She broke off her rant to grimace. "Ahhh, ahhh. Damn it! Ow!"

Sesshoumaru heard the midwife's words echo in his head. _Any other human..._ would be dead by now. He'd seen it himself. And this slip of a girl fought for her life and her child with every bit of will she possessed. "I was not suggesting Inu-Yasha," he said quietly, letting her work out the rest.

"Then who..." Her eyes went wide before she grimaced again. "You've got to be kidding. You hate humans."

"As a rule," he agreed. "But, there are exceptions. You are tolerable to look at, reasonably clean, and far from a fool, usually. In a word, acceptable as a mate."

She pushed herself up, leaning on a trembling arm. "And I'm sure you're a great catch, too, what with the fangs and the claws and the whole poison thing. But you don't love me, and I certainly don't love you." She fell back on the pillow, panting in exertion.

"Love did as much for you as friendship, Kagome," he said softly and without malice. "Perhaps you should try practicality."

She stared deep into his amber eyes, similar to Inu-Yasha's and so very different at the same time. He would never look at her and see another woman. Whatever she meant to him, it was for herself and not who she may have been. "You're not joking about this."

"No. I, Sesshoumaru, do not joke."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," she muttered. "All right. I've gone through this much already. Do whatever you have to do."

He rested his hand on the top of her head, and something in his eyes shifted, though Kagome couldn't have said what it was. "Remain here. I will return shortly." He stood, fingers barely brushing her cheek, and moved away.

Kagome closed her eyes as another wave of pain washed over her. "Yeah, right," she murmured. "Like I'm going anywhere."

She didn't realize she fallen asleep until they woke her, moving her. She blinked and stirred in the firm grip. "Sesshoumaru-san?"

"Hush, Kagome. It will be over soon."

They were shifting her, sliding her, someone was moving her legs. "Hey, don't," she protested weakly. Gods, when had she gotten so tired?

"Let the midwife work."

She was sitting upright now, leaning against... something...? Someone? She reached a hand back over her shoulder, feeling silky strands then warm skin as her fingers met the side of his face. _Soft,_ she thought. _So smooth._

He caught her hand with his and laced their fingers together, moving her arm down and settling his chin on her shoulder. "Lean on me," he whispered, feeling her fingers curl tight around his, "and push with all our strength combined." 

His youki wrapped around and sank into her, bringing her back to full consciousness and making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Or maybe that was the result of his fangs scraping shallow furrows in the skin of her throat. He licked the wounds closed, then shifted his head to whisper in her ear. "You are mine, now. Both of you belong to me."

_He's so beautiful,_ Kagome thought. _Hell, they're both beautiful._

Sesshoumaru held the baby, and she watched as he drank in the child's every feature. _You'd think he was really the daddy, and not just an honorary step-father-slash-uncle kind of thing._ She watched as the Demon Lord of the Western Lands traced the pale blue birthmark on the boy's forehead, a crescent moon. Sesshoumaru seemed so fascinated by the boy that she felt safe in asking a question or two.

"So does he pass inspection?"

His glance flicked to her a moment, then back to the baby. "He is well formed in every regard I can inspect. What abilities he may develop can only be seen in time."

"So what about his head?"

"He has my father's ears. I must admit to not finding them so flagrant an insult on him as on my brother."

She resisted laughing and failed. "Ow. Don't make me laugh. I'm still sore." 

"I told you a hanyou birth was difficult for the human mother. You are considerably more recovered than most would be at this point." And yet, a week after the birth, neither Sesshoumaru nor the midwife would let her out of bed.

"He's not hanyou," she protested out of habit.

"So I have noticed. How ever did you manage to turn his human blood to youkai?"

She sighed and shifted a little. She'd avoided the question the last time he'd asked, and Sesshoumaru hated to repeat himself. "I knew how hard it was for your brother," she said quietly. His name almost never came up anymore. "How much he despised that side of himself, the weakness, the changes. He only hesitated to become youkai because he was afraid of forgetting everyone. And there would be no Tetsusaiga for my son. So I had to protect him myself."

"You could have chosen to purify his youkai side and turn him human," Sesshoumaru pointed out.

"How dangerous would it have been for you, sheltering a human mate and yet another human child? No. I couldn't put you in that kind of danger."

"It is my place to protect you," he said, scowling slightly. "Not the other way around." The baby flailed, tiny palm smacking against Sesshoumaru's face. "Ah, you don't like that face, little pup?"

"Anyway, it's not his ears I was asking about," Kagome said, trying to get back to the original subject. "How did he wind up with your mark on his forehead? I would have expected the stripes first."

"They may come, with maturity. The other shows that he is the eldest of his line."

"The only, if I have anything to say about it," Kagome muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

The mood in the room grew chilly, and Sesshoumaru placed the baby unceremoniously into her arms. "I told you before, I have no taste for human females." He turned without another word and stormed from the room.

She stared after him, absently comforting the now-crying baby. "Mama said the wrong thing that time, baby."

Golden eyes focused on a spot in the tall grass, tiny nose wiggling and white ears swiveling madly. The small figure froze for a long moment then pounced, one chubby infant hand reaching out and snagging something small and brown.

"Mama! Rin-neechan! Lookie I got!"

The little inu-youkai ran up the his mother and older sister, treasure grasped firmly in his grip. "Lookie I got!" he shouted again. He opened his hand to reveal the crushed remains of a large cricket. "Ohhh, smashed," he said sadly.

"Did you kill it, Sesshou-inu?" Sesshoumaru asked, gliding up.

"Smashed," the boy said, holding up the remains of the insect for the Demon Lord's inspection.

"So it is." The corners of his mouth twitched up. "It's your first kill, my son. You should eat it."

"Eat bug?" The boy frowned dubiously at the smear on his palm.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome began.

"Do not interfere," he said, shooting a glance at her. Then he looked back to the boy. "Eat it quickly, before it becomes nasty."

The boy studied him for a long moment, then trustingly put the insect into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. The face he made, however, indicated that he believed it was already too late. "Yuck!"

Sesshoumaru knelt down in front of him. "In the future, my son, you will kill many things. When we are at war, we must kill that which opposes us. And there will be times when we must kill for food. But we do not kill for pleasure. Do you understand?"

The boy stared at him a moment. "Tastes bad."

"Close enough for now. Rin, take Sesshou-inu inside. Perhaps Hana can find something more to his liking for lunch." The girl, now almost a young woman, rose quickly and took the little boy's hand, leading him inside.

"I can't believe you made him eat that disgusting thing," Kagome said once they were out of earshot.

"You would be less pleased, I believe, if he came to enjoy the blood-lust of killing," Sesshoumaru said firmly. "He is susceptible to that particular weakness."

"He's youkai," she protested. "He's not going to lose his mind like that if his life's threatened."

"Why not? It took me many years to learn not to lose myself in the beast. When it's time, he will learn as well." He stood and moved over to her, helping her to her feet. "He made his first kill a few days short of his first birthday. You should be proud."

"I didn't do anything," she protested.

He was looking at her strangely, like there was something he was wanting, or expecting. "You have made him strong," he said gently. "He must be presented to the council soon."

"He's so young..."

"And he has made his first kill. It's time for them to see my son."

She stood outside the council chambers holding Sesshou-inu in her arms. He'd have to walk as soon as they entered, to go up and sit at Sesshoumaru's right hand. But for just another moment, he could be her baby boy still.

The fusama slid open, and she set the boy on his feet, letting a servant fuss with straightening their plum-blossom embroidered kimono. Kagome looked down and smiled at him. "Don't be afraid. We're just going in to see Otou-sama."

He smiled broadly, displaying a pair of wicked fangs that had just finished growing in. "Hai, Mama."

They walked into the room, and Kagome was instantly aware of the eye turned her was, and wave of hostility aimed at her and her son. _Another human,_ she could almost hear them thinking. _Another Tai Inu-youkai weakened by a mortal girl. Well, not this time._ She reached out and gathered the threads of her own power to her, power she had mostly ignored for two years. It was thin, but it was there, and as she pulled on it, it strengthened, and she wrapped it around them until her own aura of power fairly shoved aside most of the youki in the room. _There,_ she thought. _That should do it. I may be human, but now they know I'm not weak or helpless. And neither is my son._

She led Sesshou-inu to the front of the room, where Sesshoumaru knelt on a low platform. She knelt before him, helping her son to kneel as well, then bowed low before him. 

He nodded as she straightened up, gesturing her elegantly to one side, and reached out for Sesshou-inu, indicating a place beside him on the platform. "Come up here, my son. Sit here, at my right hand. There's much for us to hear."

Kagome smiled as she moved to her own place. It was more than she'd ever hoped.

"You impressed the members of the council greatly."

Kagome turned from where Hana was removing her heavy over-wrap. "I didn't want them to look down on you, just because of me." She waved Hana away. "Will you sit and eat, Sesshoumaru-san?"

He looked at here a moment, then sat at the low table laden with dishes. Kagome knelt as well, not across the table, but to the side, and poured tea for him, then served him miso and rice. "Would Sesshoumaru-san like sake?"

He held out the tiny cup, and she poured for him again. He downed the warmed wine, and she offered to pour again, but he refused. "Why are you suddenly so subservient? If I desired this kind of female, I could have easily acquired one long before you came along."

"I... I don't know any other way to thank you. My son's future is safe, now. He's accepted by the other tai-youkai. I don't have to worry about him so much, now."

"You thought he was in some kind of danger?"

"I know what they thought of me. I'm human. They'd normally never accept..."

He cut her off. "You gave every demon in the room a very clear idea of your power today. No youkai will question Sesshou-inu's place after today. You are my mate, and he is my heir. There is no need for concern."

"I know I'm not what you wanted."

"Perhaps not. I did not intend to take a human mate. But everything has worked out well enough. I am not displeased." He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Do not trouble yourself anymore about this matter."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-san."

Epilogue

"Kagome-sama"

Kagome looked up from the book she and Rin were bent over. "What?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru requests your presence. He says there is a visitor you should see."

"Oh?" She stood carefully. There was as yet no outward physical sign of the child she carried, but standing too quickly often made her dizzy. "Who?"

"The Lord's brother."

Sesshoumaru caught her arm as she moved to walk out into the courtyard. "What do you intend to do?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I tried to make myself forget a long time ago." There was a shriek of high-pitched laughter from outside, and Kagome turned. "I should be out there."

"Will you tell him?"

"I doubt I'll have to." She drew her over-kimono a little tighter around her shoulders and stepped around the corner and out the door.

He was in the courtyard with the boy, watching the child run in circles, shouting and waving a miniature sword. She let him watch his fill, taking in the boy's features that ran so strongly in his family. Once she was sure he knew what he was seeing she called her son over.

"Go inside now, son. Otou-sama is waiting for you."

"Hai, Okaa-sama." The little boy threw his arms around her legs in a brief hug, waved a quick good-bye to the stranger, then ran in the door, geta abandoned on the steps.

Kagome stared into golden eyes she used to know so well. "What do you want, Inu-Yasha? Are you finally getting around to killing me?"

"Have you been here the entire time?" Inu-Yasha demanded, ignoring her question. "I've been wandering around Japan for 5 years, looking for you, and you've been here, with _him? _Your _mother _didn't even know where you were."

"The last thing you said to me was that you would kill me when we met again. It seemed like a good idea to stay out of your way, and Sesshoumaru-san was good enough to invite me to be his guest. I didn't think you'd ever come looking for me here."

"I wouldn't have," he protested. "Sango finally told me that Sesshoumaru told her and Miroku you were safe. That was it. Not where you were or how you were doing. Just that you were safe. What the hell was I supposed to think, Kagome?"

"What do you care?" she cried, voice breaking. "You made your choice, Inu-Yasha, and I made mine. End of story. Now just tell me if you're going to kill me or not."

"Gods, Kagome, no. I was angry. I didn't mean-" He moved closer, reaching out one clawed hand to wipe away her tears, but she flinched away, stepping back.

"Don't touch me, Inu-Yasha. Don't think about me, don't try to see me. I may as well be dead to you."

He reached out again, grabbing her wrist. "You have _my _son in there, with _him, _and you're telling _me _to leave?"

"Sesshou-inu is _my _son," she hissed, eyes narrowing, "and while you may have sired him, Sesshoumaru is his father, and father of my child soon to come. Now leave. Us. Alone." She ripped her wrist from his grasp and turned away from him, walking back inside. The doors slid shut behind her with finality.

She found the tai-youkai in his study, seated on a low bench, book open on his lap, but she didn't think he was reading.

"You're bleeding," he said, voice dangerously quiet. "Did he injure you?"

She looked down at her wrist, where a few drops of blood oozed where she had yanked away from his grasp. "No," she replied, rubbing the small drops away with her thumb. "I did it to myself. I always did." She knelt on the floor next to him, leaning her head against his leg. "I didn't think I would ever really put it all behind me."

"And do you have any regrets now?"

"Only that I couldn't do it sooner." She felt his hand move, coming to rest on her head, stroking her hair. Showing affection would never be his strong point, she knew, but it felt good to know he cared. She was his, for whatever it was worth, and in some strange way, he was hers. too.

"I thought you didn't suffer from your father's weakness for human females," she teased gently.

"Such an extraordinary creature as yourself, Kagome, could never be mistaken for something merely human." Sesshoumaru stared at the tiny cotton-and-silk swathed bundle the midwife had placed into his arms before slipping out to give the parents some privacy. "You're sure?" he asked.

Kagome chuckled tiredly. "You were there, too, you know. I don't think anything would have changed in the last hour."

He looked over the baby's white-fuzzed head to her. "You are well?"

She nodded. "Reasonably. Just tired. So, think of any names yet?"

"I never considered this possibility. I thought it would be…"

"A boy?" she finished. "Surprise. You'd think after all the years you spent with Rin, the concept of a daughter wouldn't be so strange."

"It was a possibility I never connected with myself. Especially considering the fact that I never intended to take a mate."

His turn of phrase was blunt, but didn't hurt Kagome. They both knew the other was not something they'd ever intended on having. But it worked, somehow. Maybe because neither had unrealistic expectations of the other. "Well, time to consider it," she said, shifting and wincing a little.

He was sitting next to her in an instant. "Do you require anything?"

She blinked slowly, shaking her head. "Nothing you can get for me. It's too bad aspirin hasn't been invented yet."

"Aspirin?"

"It's a pain killer. Don't worry about it." She leaned back against the pile of cushions. "We can't just keep calling her the baby, you know."

"It has only been an hour. I don't believe she'll be, what is the phrase, 'scarred for life.'"

"True, but I can't write to Sango until we settle on a name. I owe her a letter or two as it is."

"Your friend the exterminator bears pups at an unthinkable rate."

Kagome shrugged. "She and Miroku are making up for lost time. And I think she has ideas about repopulating her taiji village."

"How can she exterminate youkai if she's constantly pregnant?"

"Miroku's not half-bad at it himself. And they've had some other help." She didn't go into further detail, and he didn't press. Anyone who might be helping her old friends exterminate youkai would likely be a bad subject to bring up. "This isn't getting the baby named."

As if she'd heard, the infant in Sesshoumaru's arms stirred. Her eyes, slate blue, already flecked with gold, opened, and her tiny pink lips started smacking as well. "I think she's finding her appetite," Kagome suggested as she started to whimper. "Is my little princess hungry?" she asked as Sesshoumaru placed the girl gently into her mother's arms. He blinked as Kagome settled the baby at her breast, gently tracing one elfin ear.

"Himeko," he said quietly.

Kagome looked down at her daughter, taking in the blue crescent moon the baby shared with her brother, and the faintest markings of youkai striping on her tiny face. "Himeko it is, then."

Six months later

"Sango had another boy," Kagome said, looking up from where she knelt reading next to the fire.

Sesshoumaru didn't look up from his own work. "Did she? How many is that now?"

"Five. She and Miroku got started right after Naraku was defeated, and they had twins in there somewhere."

"And you were doing something else?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Looking for the Shikon no kakera. There were still some small fragments left. Kikyo..." She paused. The miko's name was almost has difficult to say sometimes as Inu-Yasha's. "Kikyo had at least one, Kouga had two. It was hard to get them all."

"And did you ever find it all? You never told me, you know, how the story ends." He set his brush down, attention focused solely on Kagome.

"I... I honestly don't know. It's one of those things I left behind. I'd already fused the shards I had with the piece we finally took back from Naraku."

"And what became of that piece?" Sesshoumaru pressed.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I stopped caring once your brother said he wished I were dead." She looked across the room to him. "You never cared about the Shikon no Tama. Why ask now?"

"I never desired it for myself," he corrected gently. "I was not anxious to see it end up in the hands of a creature like Naraku."

"Well, I'm fairly sure he didn't get it. He was a steaming mass of goo with about a dozen arrows sticking out of him before the last Kaze no Kizu vaporized him."

Sesshoumaru arched one smooth brow. "Should I take care not to anger you, my Kagome?"

She rose, crossing the room and kneeling across the table from him, leaning forward until her face was inches from his. "Yeah. I'll shoot your ass full of purifying arrows."

"Surely that's not the best use of my body you can think of."

Kagome was opening her mouth to retort when there was a tap at the fusama. Crinkling her nose in annoyance, she settled back on her heels. "Hai?"

The door slid open, and Kagome's chief servant, Hana, entered. "Forgive me for interrupting, Kagome-sama. Himeko-sama is awake. I believe she is expecting her meal."

"Thank you, Hana. I'll be right there." Kagome turned and bowed to Sesshoumaru. "Excuse me, please, Sesshoumaru-sama. Your daughter calls."

"I'm perfectly willing to engage a nurse any time you wish, you know."

Kagome shook her head, rising. "Not unless it was absolutely necessary. One day, they'll both be stronger than I am. So right now, while she really needs me, I want to be there for her."

Sesshoumaru caught her hand as she moved toward the door. "You have given them your own strong will. I can find no fault in that."

She smiled at what was, for him, an expression of outright affection. "Will I find you back here later?"

"I will retire soon."

"Then I'll find you somewhere else. The rest of Sango's letter is there, if you're interested." She squeezed his hand and slipped out the door.

"I read your letter from the taiji-ya."

Kagome slid the fusama closed as Sesshoumaru rose and crossed the room to join her. He was no less intimidating in a plain white yukata then he was wrapped in silks and armor. "What did she have to say?"

He lifted her heavily embroidered over-kimono off her, claws carefully turned away from her tender skin. "She is concerned."

"About what?"

He pulled free the knot in her sash. Though Hana's duties included helping Kagome don the layers of kimono he favored for her, Sesshoumaru reserved the right to unwrap her himself. "The number of rogue youkai and oni around them has decreased suddenly. She does not believe they have been that successful in their exterminations. My brother is… irritated."

She remained still as he pulled a yukata over her, watching as he tied the sash from behind. "He's always irritated," she said dismissively.

His hands spanned her waist, long fingers spread over her hipbones. "Who are you thinking about right now?" he whispered, lips brushing her ear.

She raised her arms, hands sliding around his neck under his spill of long silvery hair. "You, of course. Always you." She tilted her head to the side, hair spilling free to reveal the mark he'd left the day her son was born.

"You are _my _mate," he reminded her, inhaling her scent deeply. "There is no room for another in your heart." He pulled her back firmly against him, chest beginning to rumble with a growl.

"No one but you," she agreed.

The sun was shining through the oiled paper covering the windows when an argument in the hallway woke Sesshoumaru from his light doze.

"Damn it, wench, get out of the way. I know damn well where he is; I don't need you to run ahead and announce me like some pox-ridden daimyo."

Sesshoumaru rolled out of the futon like lightning, standing between it and the fusama, pulling on his yukata. "Inu-Yasha, if you value your life at all, you will remain outside this chamber." He heard his brother slump against the wall and the rustle of fire-rat fur as he folded his arms.

"Feh. Like you've got anything in there I ain't seen before."

"Be that as it may, there are things you have no right to see again. Hana, escort Inu-Yasha-sama to the main room. Then return and help Kagome-sama to dress."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," the maid said from the other side of the door.

He heard Inu-Yasha's grumbling recede in the distance, and the rustle of Kagome pulling herself from the tangle of covers on the futon.

"What does he want?" she asked, dragging her own yukata on.

"To live, at least for the moment." He plucked a brush from the dressing table and started to work the tangles from her hair, grown out past her waist.

"You're not going to get dressed and race out to find out what he wants?" Her head dropped back as he brushed it with long even strokes.

"Eventually. Let him wonder what we're doing while he's waiting."

"You're so mean sometimes. Mmmm...don't stop."

"And are you deliberately saying that loud enough to be heard by any nearby hanyou? Evil witch."

She turned, putting her hair out of reach. "Go get dressed, Oh Lord and Master. I need to check on the baby before I get dressed anyway."

He caught her hand before she could move toward the door. "Meet us for breakfast as soon as you're done. I think this is more than a courtesy call on my brother's part."

"Good. Inu-Yasha's version of courtesy can leave a lot to be desired." She lifted his hand and rubbed it against her cheek. It was probably the last physical contact he'd allow before they returned to this chamber again for the night. "See you soon."

"We shall be waiting."

He caught Hana on her way back to the private apartments. "Hana, see that Rin and the children take their breakfast in the garden this morning. In particular, I want to keep Inu-chan away from the guests."

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. Do you wish this right away or after I assist Kagome-sama?"

"Kagome-sama is with Hime-chan. See to Rin and the boy first." The last thing Sesshoumaru wanted right then was for Inu-Yasha to see Sesshou-inu and realize what an idiot he had been. The baka might get it into his fool head to try and win over the child's affection. And the boy had his mother's generous heart, open to all.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'll take Himeko-sama out to join them as soon as Kagome-sama is ready."

Sesshoumaru nodded and let her go, continuing on his way to the main rooms. He found Inu-Yasha ensconced at a low table, with his human friends and a half-grown kitsune.

"Well, Inu-Yasha, what was so important that you risked your life to try bursting into my private apartments?"

Inu-Yasha swallowed a mouthful of rice and sneered. "When did you turn into such a prude, anyway? I don't care if you wander around with your fur hanging out."

"But I mind if you stand around ogling my mate. And my guests will mind when they have to watch your breakfast falling out the slice I'm about to take out of your throat."

The monk cleared his throat. "Much as I'm sure you would enjoy, ah, catching up with Inu-Yasha, Sesshoumaru-san, there is a serious matter we came to address."

Sesshoumaru's head turned, attention now fixed on the houshi. "Oh?"

"Yes. Will Kagome-sama be joining us? The matter concerns her greatly."

"Everything that concerns Kagome concerns me," Sesshoumaru growled.

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-san," the monk agreed. "I only wished to save time by telling the story only once."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "She is attending the children and will join us when she is able."

"Yes, we heard the happy news about the arrival of your daughter. Kagome-sama will be pleased to know that when we received word, I went to the local shrine to offer prayers of thanksgiving."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "You, a Buddhist monk, husband of a taiji-ya, made prayers of thanksgiving at a shrine for the birth of a youkai child? The world is turning into a very strange place."

"Hanyou," Inu-Yasha muttered.

Sesshoumaru turned his glare back to his brother. "No, Inu-Yasha. Youkai. My mate purged both children of their human blood. They are pure youkai, and accepted by the council as such." He looked away then, rising and crossing the room as the fusama opened to reveal Kagome, decked out in layer upon layer of kimono. It was far from the full junihito effect of twelve layers, but it was stunning nonetheless, with four layers of wrapped kimono, and one loose embroidered kimono draped over everything. He escorted her in, and she exchanged warm embraces with both the taiji-ya and the houshi, who was jokingly warned to mind his hands. (He did, Sesshoumaru noticed.) But she offered Inu-Yasha only a polite but distant greeting, as though he were someone she didn't care much for but was forced to acknowledge.

She settled at Sesshoumaru's side, habitually pouring him tea and serving him breakfast before the servants served them all. "So what are you all doing here?" she asked once breakfast was underway.

"There's been a slight problem," Miroku started, reaching for his tea. Kagome saw his right hand then, then hand he'd been trying to keep hidden below the table. The hand encased once again in a leather cuff, with prayer beads wrapped around it.

"Oh, no!" She reached across the table impulsively, grasping his hand between hers. A blue glow emanated from their clasped hands for a moment, then she released him slowly. "I'm sorry. I can't get rid of it. It's too dark, too evil. I can't purify the energy used to create it."

"Thank you for trying, Kagome-sama. But that's not why we're here, not entirely."

She looked from Miroku's hand to Sango's haunted expression. "He's back, isn't he? How? What happened? Did he destroy the village again?"

Sango shook her head. "Not entirely. I... We knew what it was this time, we managed to save some of the people, the children, mostly. The boys are safe. But so many people died anyway, so many friends..."

Inu-Yasha jumped to his feet. "Just get dressed and get your stuff together. We don't have a lot of time to waste," he said before stalking out into the courtyard.

She stared after him a moment, then turned back to Sango. "What was that about?"

Sango lowered her eyes. "There was a girl. It wasn't anything, Kagome-chan, but they were friends. She... didn't survive the attack."

Kagome sighed. "Poor Inu-Yasha." Beside her, Sesshoumaru stood, and she reached up, catching his hand, throwing caution to the wind. "Don't be angry with him, please."

"I? I, Sesshoumaru, have nothing to be angry about." He walked away then, following his brother out the door.

"Oh, boy," Kagome sighed. "He's doing the 'I, Sesshoumaru' thing again."

"Is that bad?" Sango asked.

"It isn't good," Kagome said ominously.

He was perched on the wall surrounding the castle compound, staring out at the deep forest beyond.

Sesshoumaru stared up at him for a long minute. "Come down here," he said at last.

Inu-Yasha snorted and made himself more comfortable.

"We can do this the difficult way, if you wish. I'm sure Kagome will come out here and say 'osuwari' if I ask her."

Inu-Yasha tossed something over his shoulder at his brother, and Sesshoumaru caught it, a small violet prayer bead. "She took it off a long time ago," Inu-Yasha said, not turning around. "I throw one away every time I start thinking I can live without her."

"And when you have no beads left?"

"I'll be over it by then, won't I?"

"How many do you have left?" Sesshoumaru asked, ascending to stand beside him on the wall.

"Too many," the hanyou said.

"She is no longer yours, Inu-Yasha. Do not dare to fight me on this."

He sighed. "I know. I've just been hers for too long."

"You should never have threatened to kill her."

"I know, I know! Everyone says that, I broke her heart."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "You broke more than that. You broke her spirit. I have been years rebuilding it. You always make more work for me, brother."

"Sorry. I just can't seem to summon up any sympathy for you. You have everything I ever wanted. And every time I think I may have gotten something good, it falls apart in my hands."

Kagome's generous heart must have rubbed off on him, Sesshoumaru reflected. He reached out and put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't hold on so tightly, or you'll only destroy what you're striving so hard to keep." He was going to have to speak seriously to Kagome about her kind spirit and its effect on him. "Sesshou-inu made his first kill that way," he related, offering his brother a flag of truce.

"Yeah? What was it?"

"Some bug he wanted to show Kagome."

Inu-Yasha laughed. "How'd he like it?"

"I think he lost faith that day in my ultimate goodness."

"Your ultimate goodness? What kind of fairy tales are you raising that boy on?"

"He knows only that Kagome and I would move heaven and earth for him. And that bugs taste bad."

"Have to agree with him there." Inu-Yasha sighed. "I need Kagome for this. I, we, can't do this without her."

"It is her decision," Sesshoumaru answered after a moment. "But if she chooses to go, I will accompany her. She is mine to protect now, brother. That must be perfectly clear."

"Crystal."

They shared another long moment of silence. "Come with me," Sesshoumaru said at last.

Every difficult, Inu-Yasha snorted. "Why?"

His brother sighed. "Because I wish to show you something, you idiot." He glided down from the wall and walked away, listening to Inu-Yasha land behind him. "You're still too noisy."

"I get by," he replied, footsteps deliberately crunching in the dirt courtyard.

"Do you do these things just to irritate me?" Sesshoumaru asked, leading him around the side of the main building.

"Why do you let it bother you? I'm so far beneath your notice, aren't I?"

"Huh." They passed through a gate set in a high fence and into a spectacular garden, carved and sculpted out of the forest behind the compound. Groundskeepers worked in different areas, pruning and raking, each pausing to kneel and bow as the lord passed, returning to their quiet chores at a negligent wave of his hand. He led Inu-Yasha through a creek-bordered grove, then over a bridge onto a grassy lawn with a pavilion at its center. There was a table under the ornate roof, and a large area fenced in by several waist-high open lattice-work screens.

A dark-haired young woman and a silver-haired boy sat at the table, parchment, ink and brushes strewn over the surface. The young woman carefully finished what she was writing and handed the sheet to the boy. "Read that back for me now," she instructed.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said quietly, and the girl looked up instantly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" She jumped to her feet and bowed. "Ohayo gozaimasu."

"Ohayo." He gaze shifted to the boy, who had risen as well. "Ohayo, Sesshou-inu."

He boy bowed. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Otou-sama." He stood waiting, until something shifted minutely in Sesshoumaru's face, then ran to embrace the taiyoukai's legs. "Come see what I'm reading, Otou-sama."

"Inu-chan, I want you to meet someone." He peeled the boy away from his legs gently. "This is my younger brother, Inu-Yasha."

The boy stared up at him for a long moment. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Inu-Yasha-jisama."

"Eh, don't be so formal. Call me Inu-Yasha, okay?" He crouched down to the boy's eye-level.

"Okay. Hey, you got my ears!" Inu-chan squealed with delight, pointing.

Inu-Yasha smirked. "Maybe you got my ears, eh, puppy?"

The boy shook his head. "Nah. I got them from Jii-sama. I saw a picture."

Sesshoumaru had moved away to speak quietly to Rin, so Inu-Yasha felt more comfortable letting his guard down. "Well, your Jii-sama was my Otou-sama. So maybe we both got them from him."

This seemed to please the boy. "Yeah!" He grabbed Inu-Yasha's hand, dragging him forward so he had to stand to avoid falling. "Come see my sister. She didn't get the ears."

He followed at the boy's insistence over to the low surround. A cloth was laid out inside, and an infant girl sat on it, gnawing viciously on a carved wooden shape, already liberally dented with fang-marks.

"That's Himeko," Sesshou-inu announced. "She doesn't do anything yet. Okaa-sama says she will soon, but I don't like to wait."

Inu-Yasha glared over at Sesshoumaru. "You put her in a cage?" he asked, shocked.

"Kagome prefers it. She believes it keeps her from crawling away and getting hurt."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "You've been leashed, brother. Admit it."

"Don't test me, brother. You'll find out how loose the leash, as you put it, really is."

He stared down at the baby, who see

med possessed of Kagome's heart-shaped face set with Sesshoumaru's cool gold eyes and distinctive markings. She crawled to the edge of the fencing nearest him and pulled herself to her knees, tiny clawed fingers gripping the lattice-work. She babbled cheerfully up at Inu-Yasha, revealing the first hints of sharp fangs. It struck Inu-Yasha then that this could have been his life, these his children, Sesshou-inu's siring aside. He flopped to his knees, arms folded on the edge of the fencing, chin resting on top. "I'm such an idiot."

Sesshoumaru stared down at him. "Yes," he agreed. "But in your defense, you are young, You have time to make stupid mistakes."

He glanced over to Sesshou-inu. "Not like this. Not that affect others like this." He stood, walking away from the pavilion and into the sunshine, Sesshoumaru following. "Not when it means I can't raise my own son," he added quietly.

Sesshoumaru's voice dropped dangerously low. "Inu-Yasha…" he started, but the hanyou waved him off.

"It's not that," he insisted. "He's better off here with you, anyway. It's just…. It's what I wanted, and I don't get why I don't have it."

"And it is the last thing I wanted, yet it fell into my lap. It's a little ironic that you have the sword I always wanted, and I have the human you desired."

"I'm not trading," Inu-Yasha spat.

"And I am not suggesting such an exchange," Sesshoumaru spat back. "I considered it at first," he said after a long moment.

"Don't tell me you fell in love, Sesshoumaru. You don't work like that."

"No. I did not 'fall in love.' That is a human weakness. She was carrying your pup. It gave me a better position from which to bargain. And then…"

"Then?" Inu-Yasha pressed.

"Then I grew used to her. Her presence was… acceptable." He took in Inu-Yasha's confused expression and rolled his eyes. "Rin's presence is amusing. She is unconditionally accepting of her situation."

"She loves you, for whatever reason."

"Yes, that is Kagome's term for it as well. Kagome's presence was stimulating." He heard Inu-Yasha's snort of disgust. "Not like that, you cretin. She talked of things from her time, she made an effort to educate Rin. She was interesting."

"And now you've fallen in love with her," Inu-Yasha stated.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes again. "You are so human, brother. She is my Mate, my companion. She is… there, and I do not have to be alone any longer." He glanced back over to the pavilion. "She is the mother to my heir, the mother of a daughter I never knew I wanted this much. She brought life back into this dying heap of a castle, and I will not give her up."

"Who's asking you to? I'm not saying she won't come back. I'm just saying I need to… borrow her. Anyway, she's loyal to you now. Nothin's gonna change that."

Sesshoumaru heard Kagome's light voice float on the wind across the lawn, as well of the voices of her companions. He heard Rin and Sesshou-inu run to greet her, and her happy greetings in return. Then her sound and scent moved closer and her kimono rustled as she bent and cooed to the baby. She approached them, coming around from behind Inu-Yasha and placing the baby into his unsuspecting arms.

To his credit, he didn't drop her, but stared at Kagome, shocked. "What?"

"You should get to know her," Kagome said, moving to stand on Sesshoumaru's other side.

"I should wh- Kagome, she smells!" He successfully juggled the baby into one arm and clapped a sleeve-covered hand to his nose.

"Yes," Kagome said serenely. "She needs changing. Hana can show you what to do."

He sputtered indignantly until Sesshoumaru spoke up. "Inu-Yasha, that smell is not going to get any better. I suggest you make haste, before you require a change of garments as well."

The hanyou's eyes went wide, and he stalked off across the lawn muttering, baby held gingerly at a distance.

"You sent him away," Sesshoumaru noted once the pair had entered the building, a fretful Hana following closely.

"Yes. I… I think I should go, with Sango and Miroku. There are too many coincidences, too many things that are similar to what was happened just before we went up against Naraku. They need my help."

"I see." He was silent for a long moment. "I shall go with you."

"Sesshoumaru, you don't have-" she started, but he cut her off.

"It is necessary. You are _my _mate, and mine to protect. I will not turn that responsibility over to another while there is a choice in the matter." He fell silent, and the discussion was closed, at least from his point of view.

Kagome, however, had different ideas. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she agreed, her tone mocking.

He cast a quick glance down at her, admiring the determined set of her jaw and sparkle of her eyes. "Why should I allow another the pleasure of your company?"

"We're going to have plenty of company, my Lord. This isn't a casual stroll through the woods."

He huffed slightly. "You say this as though I have no idea what you are doing. I have traveled these islands longer than you have been alive. I know what is out there."

"I faced Naraku, you know."

"As have I. Your point?"

"I watched his dust dissipate into the sky. I watched him die."

"Apparently not, if he has returned to create more chaos." He turned and stared full into her eyes. "You are attempting to compete with me."

She arched an eyebrow and shrugged one shoulder elegantly, a gesture he recognized as one of his own. "Maybe."

"You are a truly remarkable creature to attempt to compete with this Sesshoumaru."

A smile broke across her face, ruining the attempt at bored condescension. "Well, I love you, too."

"Youkai do not love." It was an old argument, and one that had no bite. 

"Of course not. They'd just die for one another, kill for one another, move the planet because it was convenient," she said airily. "I should check on Himeko. Gods only know what a mess Inu-Yasha's had a chance to make of her."

"You did not encourage him to bond with Sesshou-inu," Sesshoumaru pointed out.

"No, and I won't. I don't ever want Inu-chan's loyalties confused. In my heart, he is your son." Her solemn countenance had returned.

"You honor me," he said quietly.

Her lips twitched up in a smile. "You deserve it. I'm going in. We're going to leave in the morning, yes?"

At least she was no longer arguing about the make-up of the party. "Yes."

"I'll start having things put together, then. And I'll have to find something else to wear. This is just a little heavy for long trips on foot," she said, waving her long sleeves.

"Anything but your former traveling costume," Sesshoumaru said.

"Anything?"

"Anything more decent. I do not relish fending off hormone-addled youkai needlessly."

"I'll see what I can do." She reached out to squeeze his arm gently, then turned and made her way toward the building, joining her friends along the way.

Sesshoumaru watched as the kitsune hugged her fiercely, hearing his childish voice chatter endlessly about the many great adventures he had been on, clearly tales embellished for Kagome's benefit. She embraced her other former companions again, shaking a jesting finger at the monk before accepting his embrace. And the taiyoukai noted that the monk kept his hands to reasonable areas, under the close watch of both the fox-child and the taiji-ya. He sighed softly as they all entered the house, Rin and Sesshou-inu following, caught up in the conversation. For one bright and shining moment, he wished his brother and the others had never come to his home. Nothing truly good could come of it.

They weren't more than a ri from the castle and a tearful parting from the children when the arguments between Inu-Yasha and Kagome started again, almost as if the past five years had evaporated.

"Inu-Yasha?"

"What, wench?" He instantly regretted his choice of words, but it was too late to take it back.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Where's what?"

She sighed in exasperation. "The Shikon no Tama, Inu-Yasha. Where is the Jewel?"

"It's safe. Why do you care?"

She sighed again and skipped around in front of him, stopping him in his tracks, her hand out between them. "Give it to me, Inu-Yasha."

He glared at her, wrapped up in what must have been one of Sesshoumaru's old traveling outfits, looking like some short, dark-haired version of his brother. She even had the expression down. "Why should I? You gave it to me, after all."

"It's incomplete, Inu-Yasha. You still can't use it."

"How do you know? Maybe I found the last of the shards."

"And maybe you found a miko powerful enough to restore it, too. But I doubt it."

Sango and Miroku ground to a halt behind them, and Shippou took the opportunity to flop to the ground. "Here we go again," he muttered, leaning back against a fallen tree and closing his eyes. Sango and the houshi sat down next to him, waiting the fight out.

They were still there when Sesshoumaru walked up a few minutes later from his position covering the rear of their party.

"Why have you stopped?"

Sango pointed up the road, where the fight had been reduced to a glaring contest between the iron-willed contenders.

The youkai's eyes narrowed. "What are they doing?"

"Fighting," Miroku said succinctly.

"Why?"

"Kagome-sama wants the jewel, Inu-Yasha doesn't want to give it to her, he's stubborn, and she is… fixed in her will as well. These things used to end much sooner." The monk grunted as Sango planted an elbow in his ribs.

"How did they end?" Sesshoumaru asked ominously.

Shippou chose that moment to pipe up. "Kagome would say sit. Or hug Inu-Yasha. Or cry and get him to hug her."

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to the arguing pair. "Indeed." He turned away, moving up the road to join them.

_He's still so infuriating,_ Kagome thought. _You'd think in five years, a person would change, but no, of course not… Can't even 'sit' him anymore, either._

"Just give it to me, Inu-Yasha. This is pointless."

"No. It's mine, I'm-"

"Inu-Yasha." They both turned to see Sesshoumaru striding up to them, his pace unhurried. "Give her the Jewel."

"No! It's-"

"Inu-Yasha!" Sesshoumaru's eyes were starting to glow, and a sudden breeze was ruffling his hair. "Don't argue with me!" he growled.

Hanyou and youkai glared at each other for a moment, then Inu-Yasha relented. Reaching into his haori, he yanked something free from around his neck and tossed it into Kagome's hands. "Fine. Here." He stormed away, muttering curses under his breath.

Sesshoumaru's attention turned to Kagome. "Avoid him for now," he instructed bluntly.

She nodded quickly. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." This was the side of him she never toyed with. The beast in him was much too close to the surface.

Satisfied with her agreement, he allowed the youki to disperse, eyes returning to their normal gold and wind vanishing. He turned and looked back at the others, who were on their feet already, anticipating a violent confrontation. "We should continue. Naraku is waiting." He guided Kagome away, one hand on her back.

"He certainly has a way with words," Miroku murmured as they set out again.

It was easy for Sesshoumaru to say 'avoid him,' and only a little more difficult for Kagome to agree, particularly in the face of his rarely revealed temper. But they were a small party, and when Sesshoumaru had insisted on leaving behind most of the supplies Kagome had marked for the trip, she had made him the defacto procurer of game. 

They had established camp shortly before sunset near a river, the elder dog demon suppressing a comment about losing more time while the younger merely found a comfortable tree branch from which to mutter under his breath.

Kagome unpacked the much-reduced bag she had managed to bring along. "I'll have the fire going before you get back," she said brightly.

"And I am to hunt?" Sesshoumaru asked again. He had yet to completely accept the idea.

"Unless you want me to starve," she said sweetly.

"Are you deliberately irritating me now, or is it merely a by-product of your stubbornness?" She calmly returned his gaze until her relented. "Very well. What do you want?"

"Whatever's handy," she replied. "Enough for seven. And your brother eats everything in sight, I should mention."

"Who asked you, bi-" Inu-Yasha wisely kept the rest of his thoughts on the matter to himself.

Sesshoumaru glanced up into the tree. "Watch her, Inu-Yasha."

"Feh."

Kagome smiled up at her mate. "I'll be fine. Sango and Miroku aren't far."

He knelt down, back turned to Inu-Yasha's branch. "I worry for you out here. I cannot control every aspect of this journey," he said voice soft enough not to carry.

"I don't expect you to," she replied. "But I really would like something to cook on this fire I'm supposed to be starting."

Shippou trotted up then, a bundle of wood clutched in his arms. He steered well clear of Sesshoumaru, dropping the fuel for the fire into a cleared area near Kagome. "Whew! Is that enough, Kagome, or do you want more?"

"Wow, Shippou, that's great. We should be set for the night with that load." She looked back and saw Sesshoumaru vanishing into the forest away from the river. She sighed quietly, then forced herself to cheer up. "Okay, Shippou. Why don't you see about some rocks for the fire? There should be some good ones over by the river, but try not to bug Sango-chan and Miroku-sama. They probably haven't had a lot of privacy since you guys left the taiji village, ne?"

"I guess not. But I overheard her telling Miroku no more babies until Naraku was dust for sure. He wasn't very happy, but he agreed that it was best." Shippou picked a the dirt with a twig. "Kagome?"

"Yes, Shippou?"

"Why are grown-ups so strange sometimes?"

Kagome thought for a minute, then shook her head. "I couldn't tell you. I don't know if it's because I am a grown-up, or because I haven't figured it out myself."

"Oh. You'll tell if you figure it out, though, right?"

She reached over and gathered him into a hug. He was a good deal bigger than Sesshou-inu, but it was still nice to be able to hug a little boy. "You bet I will. Now go see about those rocks, or I won't have this fire ready in time, and we don't want Sesshoumaru to be angry, do we?"

The kitsune jumped up and scrambled away, fear of the inuyoukai making him scamper.

There was a mocking laugh from the tree line. "Sesshoumaru wouldn't touch a hair on your head, and you know it," Inu-Yasha pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I want to deliberately set about making him angry."

He jumped to the ground and crossed to where she was setting up the first wood for the night's fire. "So it was just me you liked to make angry."

She tossed a stick, disrupting the conical shape she had been building. "I think this is a ridiculous time to talk about it," she said coolly, reshaping the fire.

"You think we should put it off another five years? You think things will be better then, when you've squeezed out a couple more pups for my brother?"

"Your brother was kind to me. It's more than I can say for you."

"You killed Kikyo right in front of me!" he shouted. "What was I supposed to do? I swore I would protect her."

"And I swore you would live if it was in my power. She was dragging you to Hell in front of me!" Kagome shouted back. "What was I supposed to do, Inu-Yasha?" She fumed for a minute, then stood and walked away. "You know what? Forget it. I'll find your damned missing shards, and I'll help you with Naraku, again, and that's it. I was right when I said to leave us alone. It really is for the best all around." She climbed the low bank toward the trees where Sesshoumaru had disappeared and sat down, arms wrapped around drawn-up knees, lost in her own thoughts.

Sesshoumaru returned to find a fire burning brightly in the camp, the houshi and kitsune settled near it. A quick test of the wind said that his brother was still up a tree, but there was no sign of Kagome or the taiji-ya. He crossed the camp area to Inu-Yasha's tree, ignoring the others. The hanyou appeared to be staring off into space, lost in thought, but Sesshoumaru caught the shift of Inu-Yasha's hand as it moved toward the Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Where is Kagome?"

"The river," Inu-Yasha replied. "Upstream, bathing. Sango's with her." He waved a hand to indicate they were somewhere behind him, clearly out of eye shot.

Sesshoumaru grunted and tossed his catch up into the tree, several fat hares, their heads hanging at odd angles, throats already slit. "Make yourself useful," he directed, moving toward the bank and heading upstream.

"Where're you going?" Inu-Yasha asked, jumping down, rabbits in hand.

"To the bath. Don't waste time. Those aren't going to improve with age."

"Feh." He headed for the river as well, as far downstream as he could reasonably get.

He was careful to make noise as he made his way upstream; the taiji-ya was sensitive to youki and known to carry several weapons on her person at all times. Though she couldn't seriously injure him, she was frankly worthy of his respect as an opponent. And he had no interest in suffering even minor injuries and having to waste the energy necessary to heal them.

The exterminator's voice rang out. "Who's there?"

"It is I, Sesshoumaru, Taiji-ya-san."

She appeared from behind a tree, sheathing her katana. "Sango is fine, Sesshoumaru-san."

He nodded. "Sango-san. Where is Kagome?"

"There's a hot spring, about ten paces further up. I came down to see who was coming." She stepped out of the way, clearing the path, and he continued forward, pausing when he drew abreast of her.

"Thank you," he said quietly, then moved on.

She watched him making his way up the path, and blinked. "You're welcome," she said at last, then turned to make her way back to camp.

She'd sat on the rise until full dark, when the warmth of the sun had vanished and the wind grown too chilly to stay so far from the warmth of the camp. But at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to sit at the fire that had eventually been started by one of her preciously hoarded lighters. It may have been five years old, but she'd been careful to preserve the little technological marvels. And it would never do to leave anachronistic items lying around carelessly. She still shuddered every time she thought of the soda cans and snack food wrappers they'd discarded in the past. Some archeologist was going to have a coronary in 400 years, thinking his precious Sengoku Jidai dig had been contaminated by picnicking teens.

The cold wind had finally overcome her inertia, and she'd wandered the outskirts of their camp, careful to stay in view of Shippou and Inu-Yasha. She may have been fuming mad at the hanyou, but he certainly didn't deserve the wrath Sesshoumaru would visit on his brother if he returned to find her missing. When Sango and Miroku had rejoined them with tales of a natural hot spring in the area, she'd jumped at the opportunity, and Sango had generously offered to come along, 'for company.' It seemed to relieve Inu-Yasha as well, that he wouldn't be required to guard his brother's mate while she bathed. And it certainly suited Kagome just fine.

There was a rustle in the bushes across the small spring, and she stilled her small movements in the warm water. "Sango-chan?"

"No. I have returned."

She lifted her head and opened her eyes, smiling at her mate. "Hi. Want to join me? The water's nice." She lifted one foot out of the pool, wiggling her toes.

He knelt on the bank just downstream from her, rinsing the last of the hares' blood from his claws. "No. I cannot protect you if I am… distracted." He rose, flicking water off his hands, staring at her intently.

Kagome resisted the urge to curl up modestly, willing the rising heat in her face to pass for a reaction to the warm water. "All right. I won't be much longer, then."

"There is no need for you to rush," he told her, settling against the trunk of a large tree. "Remain as long as you wish."

"Not much for me to do if you're not coming in," she replied. "I'm clean, I've washed my hair, I've had a good soak. I'd like your company, but I understand your reasons." She crossed the pool, folding her arms on a rock close to him and resting her chin on them. "Why aren't you up in the tree?"

"What?"

"Why aren't you keeping watch from in the tree? Inu-Yasha always heads straight up some trunk or another to keep watch. I'm just wondering why you don't."

"My brother prefers to attack from cover. I prefer to intimidate any potential danger into reconsidering their actions." His tone was neutral, but she knew he wasn't thrilled with the subject at hand.

"Mmmm. Bet you stay a lot cleaner that way." She pushed away from the rock and stood, water sluicing down her body.

"You are done, then?"

He could keep his tone disinterested, she noticed, and most of his face. But she caught the flicker in his eyes that made her warm in places the hot spring couldn't reach. "Yes. My clothing's-" She stared to point it out, but he was already wrapping her in a length of thin toweling and drying her.

"You are trying to tempt this Sesshoumaru, are you not?" he whispered in her ear.

'H-hai. But it's backfiring. I'm tempting myself more"

His arms wrapped around her from behind, but loosely, careful to keep her away from the spikes on his armor. "This is no time for distractions, Kagome. But when the journey is over, and we have returned home…" He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to the scars marring the side of her neck. "You are mine, and I will allow nothing to touch you." He pulled her closer for a brief second, the released her. "You should dress. Dinner will be ready soon."

He'd retreated to let her dress, and reluctantly she pulled the silky kimono and hakama back on. "Damn you, Naraku. Why couldn't you have found some other damned miko to fixate on?"

Dinner had been a little strained, but it certainly wasn't due to any lack in the meal itself. Cleaned, quartered and threaded on green branches, the hares had been roasted perfectly over the fire, flavored with some herbs Sango had gathered and the overall hunger of the group themselves. Then they'd cleaned up quickly and split for the night. Sango and Miroku curled up with Kirara near the fire, and Inu-Yasha returned to his favorite branch for the night, dragging Shippou with him. Much as the kit had missed his foster mother over the years, they were all aware that Sesshoumaru would have no patience for another male demon, half-grown or not, cuddling up to her during the night. Their children were one thing; unrelated kitsune were an entirely different issue.

Inu-Yasha had finally pulled him from the girl's embrace, stalking toward his tree. "She's gonna cry," he muttered as he passed Sesshoumaru. "Gods, I hate it when she cries." With a leap, he was on the branch, the fox plunked down on another nearby branch. "Don't go wanderin' off," he warned, crossing his arms and settling against the trunk. "Don't want to have to go lookin' for you."

Sesshoumaru heard his brother settle in and joined Kagome. "Are you ready to retire?"

She laughed a little, the words so incongruous to the setting. The fire was banked for the night, the moon, just a few nights past new already gone from the sky. She realized then that this journey had been carefully planned, to give them as much time as possible to find and cope with Naraku before the darkest night came again to rob Inu-Yasha of his strength. She dashed away the tears forming in her eyes. One day out and she was already homesick. She'd be no use to anyone at this rate if she didn't get a grip on herself. "Yes. You're picking a tree, I take it?"

"I prefer something solid at my back, yes." He led her into the grove, finding a tree than seemed to suite him. He sat, back against the trunk, and she curled up next to him, the warm fur wrapping around her and shutting out the cold of the night.

_Kagome…_

She stirred a little, and Sesshoumaru's grip tightened a little, pulling her closer.

_Kagome…_

What? I'm sleeping here…

'When does the bird come out of the cage?'

I'm sick of that joke. I'm going back to sleep. She curled herself further into Sesshoumaru's arms, burying her nose in the warm fur.

_ We need to speak._

Kagome let herself drift until she could see the speaker in her dream. Dark hair, red hakama, dark line that resolved into a bow, every thing else a glare of white, except for two dark gray pools until the hair. _Go away, Kikyo. We have nothing to say to each other._

_ You killed me. I think I've earned the right to a few words._

I'd do it again, Kagome insisted, fisting her hand and willing a bow into it. It was her dream after all. _Make it quick._

The fault for my death falls not on you.

So nice of you to say so. Bye.

I have not finished yet. Your arrows purified the creature that was holding me back, and I thank you for that. 

Kagome frowned. _That's all you wanted to tell me?_

Kikyo nodded. _For the moment. Later, I may have more to tell you. There had to be peace between us first._

So having failed to kill Inu-Yasha and I several times over, now you want peace?

That thing, that living doll that Urasue created and Naraku used was not me. Not the true me. It was an abomination, and I am grateful for its destruction. I am free now to live on in you.

You're free to do whatever you want. I'm rather busy being Kagome at the moment.

So I had noticed. And with our beloved's brother, as well.

Your beloved, if you insist. That was never in the cards for Inu-Yasha and I.

And yet you bore him a son.

My son belongs to Sesshoumaru, and only happened to be sired by Inu-Yasha. Kagome frowned a little in her sleep. _I'm tired of this conversation. You know where to find me if you have anything else to say._

Kagome woke and shifted a little, pressing closer to Sesshoumaru and letting thoughts of him fill her head as she drifted back to sleep.

"Kagome."

She squirmed unhappily. "Not again. I'm sleeping, okay?"

"Kagome?"

She opened her eyes and saw Sesshoumaru staring down at her, eyebrows drawn together. "Oh, it's you," she said, voice filled with relief. "Good." She closed her eyes and tried to snuggle back down, but felt herself lifted away from her warm cocoon. She opened her eyes again, frowning. "What?"

"Who were you anticipating, may I ask?" His voice was icy; definitely unhappy.

"I had a bad dream. Kikyo was talking to me."

Sesshoumaru's expression changed to one of concern. "You have not mentioned dreams of her in the past."

"I don't think I've dreamed of her before. Hope I don't again."

He stood, helping to her feet as well. "What did the miko want?"

"To rehash the last seven years. I got bored with arguing about... something, and told her to take a hike. It's getting blurry." She stretched, then tucked the neck of her kimono a little more closed from where it had slipped open during the night. "Must not be a big deal."

"And she did not try to harm you?"

She shrugged. "Hurt my feelings a little, maybe. She didn't shoot at me, so I'm fine." Her stomach rumbled and she laughed lightly. "Okay, I'm a little hungry, but not injured."

"That, I can attend." From his kimono sleeve, he produced a large yellow plum with a delicate pink blush, handing it to her. "I found a grove, and thought they might serve for a morning meal. The taiji-ya has the rest."

Kagome lifted it to her nose and inhaled deeply. "Mmmm. Smells wonderful. Itadakimasu," she said then took a big bite. Juice ran down her chin, and she raised her other hand to catch it. "Wow. Really, really good. I hope you picked a lot."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Enough to last for several days. It was worth the effort to see you enjoy it."

"Arigato. You always take such good care of me."

He caught her juice-covered hand and brought it to his lips, licking away the trail of juice from her palm to her wrist. "You are mine to protect, to defend, to care for. I would be remiss if I did not..."

These were the rare moments Kagome lived for, when Sesshoumaru let down his walls enough for her to see into the center of his being. And they were the moments as well that Shippou seemed forever bound to interrupt, no matter who was pouring out their heart to her.

"Oi, Kagome! Are you up ye- Ah! He's gonna eat her!" The kitsune bolted back through the bushes, shrieking at the top of his lungs.

Kagome wrapped her fingers around Sesshoumaru's wrist as his head turned to track the fox-child. She knew that look, the one that said the hunt would be on if she didn't stop him, fast, and she had about thirty seconds before the others crashed through the bushes to 'save' her. She switched her grip from his arm to the back of his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him soundly.

His eyes snapped to hers, aware of her again, and she released him slowly. "Hi there," she murmured.

He was not especially amused. "You distracted me deliberately."

"Yes. Because he's a child..."

"He's youkai. You cannot protect him forever."

"He's a child," she continued. "And he thinks of me like a mother. When I left the others, I left him, too. It's just going to take him a while to adjust to the new arrangements. I'm not taking his side," she said, cutting off his next argument. "I'm just saying, cut him a little slack."

"You would ask this of me?"

"Yes. Just for a while, until he's used to things..."

He frowned just a little. "Meaning me."

"You're not the same as you were seven years ago, or even five years ago. Once he realizes that, everything will be fine."

He stared at her for a moment, the crashing through the bushes growing ever louder. "You are a difficult woman sometimes. Very well. For a brief time, I will... accommodate this request." He stepped back, her hand sliding off his arm.

Kagome bit back the urge to reach out for him again, knowing it would only make the irritated demon more volatile despite his iron will.

Inu-Yasha crashed through the last of the brush, the transformed Tetsusaiga slung over his shoulder. "Shippou came screaming into the camp that you were being eaten alive," he said, glaring from Kagome to Sesshoumaru.

The youkai turned with a snort, leaving the situation in Kagome's hands. "He was wrong," she said calmly. "Sesshoumaru was just making sure I got breakfast." she held up her bitten plum. "Someone should probably say something to him about not crashing unannounced into an area where people were sleeping."

Inu-Yasha looked from Kagome's too-open face to his brother's back. "Feh. Maybe some people should save the private stuff for a place where they won't get burst in on." His brother's low rumble of a growl made him change the subject quickly. "You about ready to move out?" he asked Kagome. "The other's are packing up."

"Yeah," Kagome said. "We'll be right there."

"There is no where _he _wouldn't burst in," Sesshoumaru said after Inu-Yasha left.

"I guess it would depends on how much he wanted to live," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru chuckled slightly and took her arm to lead her back through the brush to the camp.

It only took a few days for Kagome to remember exactly what she had disliked about traveling in the past. The dust on the road they followed was thick, the chances to really bathe few and far between, and five years apart had done nothing to improve Inu-Yasha's temperament. They'd argued almost as fiercely the second day out as the first over how to locate the remaining shards. The only improvement had been the discovery of a new way to end their fights, with a muttered 'baka' on her part and a 'feh' on his. All in all, it was much better than Sesshoumaru threatening to separate them with his true form.

She ran her hands over the tiny gap in the sphere again. "I think it's just two missing," she said, trying to sense the absent shards.

"Feh," Inu-Yasha snorted.

"So we're done talking about it already?" Kagome asked tartly.

"No telling where they are," he muttered.

Kagome sighed, wishing it were closer to evening. Their usual traveling pattern, with Inu-Yasha leading and Sesshoumaru following far enough back to guard their rear meant that she saw very little of her mate during the day. The few humans bandits they'd met had been pitifully easy to defeat, requiring next to none of the demon lord's attention. And it seemed that the lesser youkai were even more scarce. "It wasn't this quiet last time. It's almost eerie, how few demons we've run into."

"More of 'em had Jewel Shards last time," Inu-Yasha shrugged. "Or were lookin' for 'em."

"It's still here. I should be a walking demon magnet, Inu-Yasha, and that's not happening. I don't understand it."

He snorted again. "You're also a walkin' notice that a taiyoukai is in the area. The others are probably runnin' for cover."

"We've encountered other youkai around Sesshoumaru before," she argued. "Those hyouneko were after him, Kaijinbou…"

"Kaijinbou was possessed, and the leopards had some unfinished business. Most demons will stay away when a taiyoukai travels with his mate. It's a good bet that one or the other of 'em will tear anything they come across to pieces."

She smiled. "So I'm that threatening now?"

"Sesshoumaru's that threatening. You're… incentive."

"Nice," she muttered, turning back to her original thought. _I had three, and fused them. Kikyo had one, and I got it, too. Kohaku's…_ Her heart clenched as it always did when she thought of Sango's doomed little brother. _Naraku took Kohaku's shard back and killed him, so we've got that. Kouga's…_

"Kouga-kun!" she exclaimed.

Inu-Yasha was already pulling the Tetsusaiga. "Where?" he demanded, looking around, nose sniffing crazily.

"No, you baka. Kouga's shards. Did you get them?"

He snorted yet again. "Yeah. The yase ookami and I get together and whine all the time. I ain't seen him since…" He trailed off, muttering.

"Since Kikyo…died?" she asked quietly.

He turned back to her, glaring. "Yeah. I haven't seen your boyfriend Kouga since you killed Kikyo, okay?" He stormed away from her. "I'm scoutin' ahead. Stay with Sango 'n' Miroku."

She paused in the road until the others caught up. "Problems?" Miroku asked.

Kagome nodded. "More of the usual. I opened my mouth and took a big bite of my foot."

Sango gave her arm a supportive squeeze. "Ouch."

"Yeah."

_ Naraku is not your enemy._

Kagome's brow furrowed at the voice, but she willed herself to remain asleep. _What?_

_ The creature Naraku is not what you must defeat._

In her dream, Kagome turned to see Kikyo much closer than she had been before, bow still gripped in her hand. The elder miko knelt, weapon placed carefully before her. Kagome watched her for a moment, then knelt as well. 

_What do you mean?_

Naraku is merely a shell, a composite body for the evil to inhabit. It is the evil inside Naraku you must destroy. 

Kagome blinked a moment. _We have to destroy just plain evil? That's not possible._

Not all evil. We are not powerful-

I told you, I'm not you! I'm Kagome! I live a different life, I made different choices. 

Kikyo seemed unruffled. _Call yourself what you like. The truth is that we are of one spirit, together with others of power; Midoriko, Tsubaki, Kaede, my sisters all. We all share in this. But the fount, the source is running out._

Is that why…?

Why you are the first truly gifted miko in almost ten generations? Yes. There was a time of renewal. But that is not my purpose here. You must heal the heart of Naraku to defeat him. 

Kagome pondered that for a long moment. _His heart? Kaede-baachan said Naraku was the thief Onigumo once. Is that what you mean? We have to heal Onigumo?_

Kikyo's steady gaze confirmed her thoughts.

_ But Onigumo may as well be dead. He was consumed by the youkai…_

The spectral miko rose, retrieving her bow. _And the dead have never come back to life?_ she asked, walking away.

"Onigumo!" she shouted, sitting bolt upright.

"You have an astonishing number of dream-companions," Sesshoumaru rumbled from behind her.

She leaned back in his embrace, sighing in relief. "Ick, no. I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole. Kikyo said… She said… Kuso, I can't remember!"

"And yet you remember some of the gems of my brother's vocabulary?"

"I've heard you say it, too. Who got it from whom?" She let herself sink back into Sesshoumaru's warm presence. "I should take you into the dream with me next time. Maybe you'll remember something I don't."

"You were speaking to the miko again?"

"Yeah. It was different. She told me some important things. Something about Onigumo and Naraku, and something about me…"

"It was a better conversation than the last one, I take it."

"Yes. Much, for the most part. I think." She shook her head. "It's mostly gone now." She curled into his embrace. "I'm so glad you're here. I sleep so much better when you're near." Her voice trailed off as she slipped back into sleep, missing the bemused expression on Sesshoumaru's face.

They made their way over the next few days up into the mountains, alert for signs of the Yourouzoko, Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru both attuned to the presence of wolf-scent everywhere. Shippou, only slightly less bothered by it, said the scent was covering almost everything in the area, making any kind of real tracking next to impossible. And strangely enough, it gave the half-brothers something to bond over.

"Oh, yeah..." Inu-Yasha was boasting, drawing out a series of tales of his adventures against the wolf-youkai. "Well, he kidnapped Kagome to find him some shards, then hauled her out into some crap battle with the Gokurakuchou. And he fuckin' forgets she's out there. Bakayaro."

Sesshoumaru was about to reply when a wolf-howl rang out from the forest, echoing and repeating around the mountain. Then the howls resolved into words as running footsteps approached.

"Nee-chan! Nee-chan!" Two dusty, panting wolf-youkai burst into the party, each dropping to a knee at Kagome's feet. "Welcome back, Sister Kagome."

"Hagaku, Ginta! What are you two doing-"

Kagome's question was cut off by another shout. "Oi, Kagome!"

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. "Here we go. Now you'll see."

The wolf prince blazed between the dog brothers, skidding to a stop next to Kagome and immediately taking her hand. "Hey, Kagome. Long time. You finally gonna come be my woman?" Twin growls from the dog-demons phased him not at all.

"Kouga-kun, that's not why I'm here," she replied, trying to free her hand, then giving up. "I need to talk to you about-"

"Remove your hand or I will do it for you," Sesshoumaru growled.

"Ooooh," Kouga scoffed. "More inu-koro. What did you do, Dog-Turd, go out and find a relative to fight for you? Get it through your skull, Kagome's mine."

"No, Wolf-Turd," Sesshoumaru replied, a coldly dangerous smile coming to light. "She is _mine_. Dokkasou." His hand, wreathed in poisonous green, reached for Kouga, and the wolf demon skipped several steps back.

Inu-Yasha snickered. "Smart move, yase ookami. I don't think I could cut your arm off fast enough to keep that stuff from killing you."

"Kouga-kun," Kagome tried again, "I need to talk to you. The-"

Kouga's nose had been sniffing madly, and he finally burst out, "Gods, Kagome, you _reek _of inuyoukai. You really are his. How could you do this to me?"

This was not an interruption she had planned on. "To you? Kouga-kun, I _never _said I was your woman. _You _said it. I told you I wasn't interested. And you had already promised Ayame to marry her."

"I told you I didn't remember saying that!"

"Well, she remembered." Kagome shook herself, trying to get a grip on her anger. "This is stupid. Kouga-kun, I need the shards."

He shook his head, backing further away. "No. Not yet. I still need more time to consolidate my power-"

It was Kagome's turn to interrupt. "I'm not asking you, Kouga-kun, I'm telling you. I need those shards, now. If you're not strong enough to lead by now, then the shards aren't going to help you."

Kouga folded his arms across his chest, scowling. "I'm not giving them up. You're going to have to get Inu-koro to take them if you want them."

She sighed unhappily. "This isn't how I wanted to do things, Kouga-kun," she said quietly. Then she turned, not to Inu-Yasha, but to Sesshoumaru. "The shards are in his legs, just below his knees," she said calmly, then moved out of the way to stand near Miroku and Sango.

Miroku stared at her in disbelief. "You just set Sesshoumaru on Kouga. The wolf will be killed!"

"I don't think Sesshoumaru will go that far," Kagome said softly. "I didn't want to. But I have to have those shards, and I'm tired of playing Kouga-kun's games."

Sesshoumaru raised his right hand, first two fingers extended. "You should have given them to her," he informed the wolf. He whipped his fingers toward the other youkai, a thin streak of toxic green light extending from his hand. The whip licked at Kouga's leg before he could move, tearing open flesh and spilling one shard into the dirt. Wounded, he was easy prey for the second attack, and soon Kagome had both shards in her hands. "Thank you," she told Sesshoumaru quietly as he handed them to her. "Kouga-kun," she began, turning to the fallen prince.

"Just go away, Kagome."

"Kouga-kun, please. I tried to ask-"

"Just go!" he shouted, and head ducked, she did, the rest of the party following quietly.

They had been staring at her, watching her for hours, Kagome realized. Miroku and Sango were horrified, she assumed, and Inu-Yasha smirked with the amusement of finally seeing Kouga down in the dirt again, where she was sure he thought the wolf deserved to be. Shippou seemed to be concerned only for her, worried because she was upset. And Sesshoumaru. Well, Kagome admitted to herself, even _she _was never sure half the time what Sesshoumaru was thinking.

Sesshoumaru had moved off ahead, keeping the remainder of the yourouzoko out of their way, and Sango and Miroku had decided to cover the rear, setting off on Kirara not long after he had vanished. It left Kagome alone with Inu-Yasha for the first time in days, with only Shippou as a chaperone, the kit popping in and out of the forest on some schedule of his own.

They walked in silence for what seemed like a long time before the strain finally got to Inu-Yasha. "Oi, what's eatin' you?" he asked gruffly.

She sighed. "I imagine I look very ugly right now." She remembered the last time she'd had that thought, when she had first truly wished Kikyo dead. It had been horrifying, to know she had that much hate somewhere in her.

He peered at her carefully. "Eh, no more than normal." He backpedaled at her hurt look. "No, I mean, you look like you normally do. Except all sad."

"Well, I am sad right now."

"Why?" he asked. "We got the shards. You can fix the Jewel. We're half done."

"Did you see what happened back there at all, Inu-Yasha? I could have killed Kouga-kun."

"Feh. _Sesshoumaru _could've killed Kouga. You didn't have anything to do with it."

She shook her head. "But I did. I told Sesshoumaru to get me the shards, and he did. If I had told him to kill Kouga-kun…. You saw how Sango and Miroku looked at me. What does it mean that I could do something like that?"

"Something like what?" he asked. "Like what you had to do? Kouga should've given up those shards a long time ago. He was just weak."

"You don't get it. If I'd told Sesshoumaru to kill Kouga-kun, he would have. Who am I to wield that kind of power?"

"No, you're the one who doesn't get it. Sesshoumaru'd have killed Kouga if he felt like it, no matter what you said. Hell, you gave him an excuse to hurt the wimpy wolf without killing him. Probably saved Kouga's stinky hide with that one. You don't control Sesshoumaru, Kagome. Don't go makin' the mistake of thinking you do." Inu-Yasha snorted. "He could just have easily told you to get them yourself, except he probably didn't like bein' insulted anymore than I ever did."

"But Miroku and Sango, the way the were staring at me…"

"Probably wonderin' what you're gonna do with the Jewel."

She shook her head. "It felt like something else, something more…"

He sighed in exasperation. "Kagome, you can't live for five years in the world of the taiyoukai and not expect it to change you. Maybe you did do something that bugged them. I don't know. None of us are who we were anymore. That's just the way it is."

"The way it is, huh?" She watched Shippou pop out of the tree-line a few steps ahead of him, paws filled with rocks for a sling he was making. Little Shippou, who was learning to appreciate a big boy's toys.

"Yeah. The way it is. Oi, watch where you're flingin' those, brat!" he shouted, batting a stone out of its path to his face.

"Sorry," Shippou called, finding a new target.

Kagome smiled, feeling that for the first time, Inu-Yasha had really understood her.

"'The way it is' my ass," Kagome muttered from where she stood under the eaves.

"I would dearly love to know how you came to such a bizarre conclusion," Sesshoumaru murmured in her ear.

They stood together out of the pouring rain, watching unobtrusively as Miroku wound up his infamous 'house plagued by evil spirits' routine.

"Inu-Yasha and I were talking, that day we found Kouga-kun. He said that people change, and that's the way it is. Except Miroku doesn't seem to have changed a bit. This was his favorite way to 'acquire' lodging seven years ago, and he's still at it." She folded her arms and grimaced as wet silk stuck to her skin. "Gods, I want to get out of these clothes."

Sesshoumaru's hot breath blew past her neck. "An agreeable proposition."

"What about no distractions?" she asked pertly. Truthfully, if Miroku's usual tactic worked, she wasn't sure how long she was going to last without cornering Sesshoumaru herself. It seemed like ages since they'd... She shook her head, filing the thoughts away for later. When they were inside, with some privacy more substantial than a few bushes.

"I find the lack of distraction consumes my mind more everyday. This entire undertaking is beginning to seem like a very bad idea."

"Well, give Miroku a couple more minutes, and we should... Yep. There he goes."

Across the muddy road, the houshi shook his shakujou threateningly at the roof of the house, and they watched silently as something slithered against the tiles. It shimmered, almost, as it moved, implying some sort of camouflage ability. Staff still outstretched, Miroku reached into his robes and withdrew and ornate ofuda, bowing his head over it a moment, then hurling at the center of the shimmery mass.

"Houriki!" he cried, and the shimmering mass leapt from the roof, changing into a demon of some large reptile background, certainly larger than those they had seen in the past. It flew toward the monk, claws extended and mouth hissing, only to be split in half as Sango's Hiraikotsu flashed in the air between them.

"This is where the show really gets good," Kagome murmured, watching as the trembling chief approached his freshly-exorcised house.

"Oh, thank you, houshi-sama! I had no idea such a malevolent spirit was invading my home. How can I thank you?"

Miroku waved him off magnanimously. "Think nothing of it. I am but a simple monk. But please, be careful if the female appears. By morning, she should move on, but these things can take-"

"Fe-fe-female?" the chief stammered. "Where?"

Miroku pulled a contemplative face. "Hard to say. Much more devious, the females. But, as I said, she should move on in the morning. Nothing to worry about-"

"Houshi-sama, will you be kind enough to accept my hospitality for the night? It is the least I can do, after you've been so kind..."

Kagome tried not to laugh out loud. Miroku was just too good at this.

"If it were just myself, good sir, I would not hesitate. But the members of my traveling party have plans to eliminate a dangerous youkai, and I hate to keep them waiting-"

The chief seemed thrilled. "Of course, they are welcome as well. Any who fight the truly evil youkai should be welcomed..."

He was babbling on, but Kagome tuned him out. "Just don't growl or offer him an example of true evil, and we'll be fine." She led the way out into the rain. "Houshi-sama," she called, pulling Sesshoumaru after her. "There's no sign of her on the east side of town."

"Ah, well. Come meet the village chief." He turned back to the trembling man. "A former miko, and one of my companions. Her accuracy with the bow is uncanny. And her husband, an experienced youkai-fighter."

Sesshoumaru nodded stiffly. After a great deal of convincing, he had altered his human appearance to its most banal, the markings on his face fading to resemble old battle scars. The weather more than anything had convinced him. Kagome was wet and chilled, and he wanted her indoors and dried immediately.

A servant led them down the covered walkway to a wing of rooms across the main building from the rest of the house. The rain had brought an early nightfall with it, and she quickly lit oil lamps as well as braziers. "Please be comfortable, honored guests. My master has arranged for dinner to be sent quickly, and the bath is at your disposal." She bowed and left, sliding the fusama closed behind her.

Kagome caught Sango's eye. "Bath?"

"Oh, yes please." They quickly dug through their belongings, turning up dry clothing, and with assurances to their respective men that they wouldn't be gone long, vanished.

Sesshoumaru blinked at Kagome's sudden disappearance. "That was not what I had anticipated."

Inu-Yasha plopped into a corner, legs drawn up and arms folded protectively around his beloved Tetsusaiga. "Believe me, that's perfectly normal. Someone wake me when the food gets here." He dropped his head forward, dozing off almost immediately.

Sesshoumaru looked over to Miroku. "Perfectly normal?"

The houshi nodded, a little crestfallen. "Perfectly."

It was a suite of three rooms they'd been given, and between the houshi and the two youkai, they had quickly sorted themselves out, each of the couples ensconced in an end room, with the center left as a kind of public space that would serve for Inu-Yasha and Shippou to sleep as well.

The maid had just finished arranging the futon to Sesshoumaru's satisfaction when Kagome returned, wrapped in a yukata and toweling her still-damp hair. "I keep thinking the thing I miss most from my mother's home, not counting people, is a big thick towel."

"Indeed." His voice was cool, and she picked up on it immediately.

"What's bothering you?" she asked, dropping the towel and moving closer to him.

"Me? I, Sesshoumaru, am bothered by nothing." He moved to walk past her, but she caught him arm. She could never, with all her strength, have held him there if somewhere deep inside, he didn't want to stay.

"Yes, there is. Before, you couldn't wait to get me alone, and right now, it's like you can't stand to be in the same room with me. What changed?" She watched him as he stared at her, unwilling to speak, but not leaving either. "What happened when I went to bathe?"

"Nothing. You and the taiji-ya bathed. The houshi and I stared at the walls."

_You and the taiji-ya... _ The light was beginning to dawn. "I think I see. Sesshoumaru, I went to the bath with Sango because I wasn't sure if that whole mess with Kouga-kun had made her... I don't know. Scared of me, I guess. I was a little scared of myself, for a while. I just needed to know she and I were still friends."

"And are you?"

"Yes. We had a good talk, and everything's fine. But now, I think you're the one who needs some attention." She stretched up on her toes. If he would just bend a little, give in the tiniest bit...

There was a rap at the fusama, and Kagome nearly growled in frustration. "Hai?"

"The food's here, Kagome-chan," Sango said quietly.

An idea struck Kagome, one that seemed better the more she quickly turned it over in her head. "Arigato, Sango-chan. I'll be right there." She turned back to Sesshoumaru. "Don't move," she pleaded. "I'll be as quick as I can." She scurried over to the fusama and slipped through into the other room.

Sesshoumaru stared at the door, puzzled. Clearly, her intention had been to kiss him, at least until the taiji-ya had unintentionally interrupted. And he could hear her whispering softly, deliberately quiet enough that between the rain on the roof and the shoji between the rooms, he couldn't quite hear what she was saying. Sango was clearly in favor of Kagome's plan, however, since she wished her 'good luck.' Then he heard her shuffling back over to the fusama. Her outline knelt, placing something on the floor. Then she opened the door carefully, entered, brought in a tray after her, and closed the door. She lifted the tray and stood gracefully, shuffling toward him in the manner of a lady raised in a noble household. She knelt again in front of him, arranging the tray just so, then collecting cushions and setting them in front of the makeshift table. She knelt to the side and held up a small bottle, eyes downcast. "Would Sesshoumaru-san like sake?"

He remembered a night years ago, when she had asked that same question, unable to find any other way to express the feelings he had not wanted to accept. The same night he had discovered that, rather than being weak, his father might well have been brilliant. He took the bottle from her hand, replacing it on the tray and lifting her to her feet. "I don't want sake now," he said, steering her backward toward the futons. "There are... other things, that are much more important."

She smiled, caressing the vivid markings that had reappeared on his face. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-san."

Sesshoumaru slid the fusama closed quietly, careful to avoid waking the occupants of either room. He crossed the tatami silently, then eased out the main door, scanning the garden area. The servant who had guided them last night had pointed out the corner used as a privy area, and he quickly located it now, making use of the facilities and returning to the suite.

The shoji was open, Inu-Yasha awake and sitting with his back against the narrow edge of the door. "Couldn't find a tree you liked?" he asked, yawning.

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Surely the humans expect their guests to use the appropriate facilities. Only something truly evil would…" _It would be so easy,_ a tiny voice in his mind whispered. _All those humans, sleeping… _ Just like Kagome was sleeping, sprawled in exhausted abandon across their futon. No. No senseless killing. Not when there were more pressing matters.

"She sleeping?" Inu-Yasha asked, head jerking back toward the room where Kagome lay.

"Unless you woke her," Sesshoumaru replied, surfacing from his own thoughts.

"Not likely. She sleeps heavy." He watched his brother's look grow dark. "Look, everything else aside, I spent two years watching her. There's things I know, and it's not any damned insult to you that I do. Live with it."

"Like you do?" Sesshoumaru sneered.

The barb failed to incite Inu-Yasha's anger, however. "Yeah. She okay?"

"Why?"

Inu-Yasha shifted. "That thing with the yase ookami bothered her. Thought she was gettin' all dangerous or somethin'. She doesn't need it buggin' her when we face Naraku."

"She mentioned it," Sesshoumaru allowed, leaning against the other side of the doorway. "It's not troubling her now."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "Feh, like much would be troubling her now, sound aslee-"

There was a blood-curdling shriek, and for an instant, both inuyoukai froze, the sound piercing through their heads like a spike. Then they both moved as one toward the source. But before they could reach it, the fusama clattered open and Kagome burst into the room, crying and throwing herself at Sesshoumaru. He caught her easily and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Kagome, nan desu ka? What's wrong?"

She was clinging to him, weeping, almost incoherent. "Hi-hi-himeko…crying. Couldn't…find her, get to her. I couldn't…couldn't help her."

Something red flashed in his vision, and it took Sesshoumaru a moment to realize it wasn't the beast raging to come out, but Inu-Yasha's haori, held at arm's length, his brother's face firmly turned away from them. And the weeping Kagome in his arms was completely exposed. He accepted the jacket and wrapped it around Kagome's shoulders. "Tell me what you saw," he said quietly.

She took a deep breath, and Inu-Yasha moved away, hearing movement in the other room.

"Inu-Yasha," Miroku called. "We heard a cry. Is everything well?"

"Aa," he replied. "Daijoubu. Sesshoumaru's got her. Nightmare."

"Ahh. I see. Thank you." He heard Miroku speaking quietly with Sango and tuned them out.

There wasn't much more Kagome could tell him. It was simply an overwhelming feeling that something was wrong with her baby. Whether there was really something wrong or simply maternal anxiety caused by the separation, they could not determine.

Finally, Sesshoumaru sighed. "I will go back and check. Will that be sufficient?"

She nodded, sniffling a little. "Yes. I'll be dressed in five minutes, and we can go-"

"Kagome," he interrupted, stepping back a little so he could see her face, "I can go more swiftly alone."

"But Himeko…"

"I will tell Himeko and the others that you are safe and well, and will return to them soon. The time to go and return with you would be more than we can afford to take." He looked out at the horizon, the sun just beginning to rise. "I will catch up to you after nightfall tomorrow. Go dress. I need to speak to Inu-Yasha." He waited until she had returned to the other room and closed the fusama before turning to his brother. "I don't need to tell you what will happen if she's injured while I am away."

"I can't believe you're givin' in on this. It's just nerves," Inu-Yasha sniffed.

Sesshoumaru walked outside, and Inu-Yasha followed. "She has been having dreams of some significance. The miko-"

"Kikyo?" Inu-Yasha asked quickly.

His brother glared at the interruption. "You are familiar with another miko who would choose to trouble my mate in her sleep?"

"What does Kikyo want?" Inu-Yasha demanded.

"I would not know. She does not speak to _me. _But she has apparently given some information to Kagome regarding Naraku. If there is some danger to the children, I do not intend to ignore this warning."

"And if there is something wrong?"

"I will deal with it and return. Do not attempt to face Naraku without me."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "I did all right without you last time."

"Obviously not as well as you think. I mean it, Inu-Yasha. Wait for my return so we can formulate some kind of plan."

There were hurried footsteps inside, and Inu-Yasha turned away. "Feh."

Sesshoumaru turned back to the house, leaning on the railing of the engawa as Kagome approached. "What more would you wish me to tell the children?"

She was on eye-level with him, standing on the porch as he stood on the ground below, and she liked the feeling of equality it gave her. She cupped his face in her hands, kissing first one striped cheek then the other. "For Hime-chan and Inu-chan," she said quietly, then kissed the crescent moon on his brow. "And for Rin-chan. Hahaue will be home soon." Then she kissed his lips in benediction. "Come back to me safely," she whispered.

"I will." He took her hands, squeezing them gently, then set them on the railing, curling her fingers around the edge to grip it. "Do not cry," he instructed, backing away.

She watched as he walked over to Inu-Yasha. "You know what to do, then?"

"Yeah. Ja ne."

"Be careful, puppy."

Inu-Yasha started, speechless as Sesshoumaru rose effortlessly rose into the air. "You too, aniue," he murmured finally.

He was hardly out of sight when a servant appeared from the main house, shuffling along the walkway. She stopped short when she saw them, and Kagome realized that they must present a very strange picture, up at the crack of dawn, and her wearing just her nightclothes.

"Miko-sama…" the servant began, uncertain if she had interrupted something.

"My husband spotted the female," Kagome said quickly. "He is giving chase, so we will have to catch up to him later today."

"Hai, miko-sama," the servant agreed, clearly grateful that whatever was going on, she could claim ignorance. "Breakfast will be ready soon. The houshi-sama…"

"He's awake," Inu-Yasha said. "Just bring whatever's quickest. We'll have to get moving soon."

The servant bowed and hurried away, and Inu-Yasha bounded up the stairs. "What're you waiting for?" he asked Kagome, who was staring at the sky again. "Naraku's still out there."

She didn't want to move from this place Sesshoumaru had last touched her, but time was passing. "Hai," she said, pushing away reluctantly. "Ikidemasu. No sense wasting time."

Jaken, like any good lackey, was waiting at the main gate when Sesshoumaru arrived, giant paws touching down gently in the courtyard.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the toad shouted, startled by his master's sudden arrival.

Sesshoumaru returned to his smaller form, striding toward the main door. "Jaken," he called as the youkai struggled to catch up. "Where are the children?"

"Asleep, I would assume, Sesshoumaru-sama. They were sent to bed before I went out to the gat- Aaaiiii! Wait for me!" He scrambled after Sesshoumaru as the taiyoukai lengthened his stride.

"Has all been quiet?"

"H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. The children have missed you, but- Oooff!" He ran straight into the back of Sesshoumaru's legs. "Sumimasen, Sesshoumaru-sama," he babbled. "Gomen nasai, I didn't see you had-"

"Shut up!" Sesshoumaru snapped.

Jaken did, immediately, and heard Rin's soft voice speaking to one of the children. "That girl," he muttered. "Should be asleep like a grateful child, but no…"

"Go back out to the gate, Jaken," Sesshoumaru ordered, and the toad waddled off, muttering to himself.

Sesshoumaru moved silently down the hall and cracked the fusama open, looking inside.

Rin had Himeko cradled in her arms and was singing, Sesshou-inu curled up in a ball on the floor, deeply asleep.

"In the mountains, in the forest,  
In the wind, in a Dream.  
Where are you, Sesshoumaru-sama?  
With an ally like Kagome-sama.  
I will wait alone until you come.  
Sesshoumaru-sama, please return."

He slid the fusama open. "Rin."

Her face lit up, and she jumped to her feet, running over to him. Once he took the sleeping baby from her, she threw her arms around his waist. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Shh, Rin. Don't wake the children."

She nodded seriously. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered.

He carried the baby over to her cradle and tucked her in, careful to pass on the kiss Kagome had sent. "Hahaue will come home soon, little one." The baby settled, he picked Sesshou-inu up from the floor, the boy flopping bonelessly, deeply asleep. Sesshoumaru carried him into the next room and tucked him into his futon, giving him the same kiss and assurance as well. The two youngest safely asleep, he slipped out, gesturing for Rin to follow.

They made their way to the study, and Rin immediately stoked the fire and set water heating for tea before kneeling across the table from Sesshoumaru.

"Rin, Jaken said everything has been quiet here. Is that true?"

She nodded. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Very quiet. Demo…"

"What, Rin?"

She shook her head. "I don't know how to explain. But Hime-chan was crying very early this morning, before sunrise. She wasn't hungry or dirty. But she cried and cried, like something had scared her. Can babies have bad dreams, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He watched as she prepared the tea. "It seems possible. Kagome-sama woke with a nightmare about Himeko-chan this morning, as well."

"Maybe they were dreaming about each other," Rin suggested.

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru said, sipping his tea. Rin may have been quick and intelligent, but her cooking efforts still needed work. Or perhaps she liked her tea very strong. He finished the cup for the sake of good manners. "Rin, come here."

She rose and moved around the side of the table, and Sesshoumaru realized the she was taller than him as he knelt. He stood, and her trusting face followed him as he rose.

"You've come further than I ever expected." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Kagome and I will be finished with this matter soon. Be strong for the others, little Rin."

The young woman looked up at her lord, master, father and savior. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Always."

"Go to bed now. I may not see you before I leave, but I will be thinking of you. Sleep well."

She bowed and slipped out of the room, and after a moment, Sesshoumaru left as well, returning to his empty room and cold futon, and somehow, the life he had always lived was emptier by far than he had ever imagined.

There was a warm little body in the futon with him when he woke, a reminder that life was not as bleak as it seemed. Bleary golden eyes blinked, staring up at him, unsurprised by his presence.

"Sesshou-inu, what are you doing in here?"

The boy scratched the side of his head with quick flicks of one hand, silvery hair flying in a cloud. "I smelled you when I woke up, but I couldn't smell Mama. Is she here?"

Sesshoumaru smiled down at the pup. The expression felt much more natural now. "No. Mama is helping Inu-Yasha-jisama. I must return to her soon."

The boy's face fell. "Oh. I miss Mama. I miss you, too, but you're here."

Sesshoumaru slid out of the futon, donning his customary kimono and armor, then looked at his son. "Sesshou-inu, bring me the Tenseiga."

The boy was out of bed in a flash, racing across the room to the small shrine where Sesshoumaru kept his father's fang. He bowed and reverently lifted the sword from where it rested, carrying it carefully across both hands to Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai took it with equal solemnity and slid it into place at his waist. He would collect Toukijin later; the sword too dangerous to keep in a place he would let his guard down even a little. One day, he would hand the Tenseiga down to Sesshou-inu, knowing it would please Kagome that the boy would learn the value of compassion. Toukijin would be another matter, however. The boy's pure spirit would be tainted by its evil, but destroying it could release its evil youki on the world. No, Toukijin would be his responsibility for the rest of his life, the price he would pay for sinking so low as to consort with Naraku. He wondered briefly what Inu-Yasha would choose to do with the Tetsusaiga in the end. Certainly, the hanyou was young enough that children could still be in his future. Or he might choose to leave the Steel-Cleaving Fang to Sesshou-inu, though that was not a course of action Sesshoumaru was willing to encourage. The thought of both Fangs in one person's hands was disturbing to say the least. He reached down and ruffled his son's hair.

"Back to your bed, pup. I must leave, and I do not wish you to wander the house this early."

"Hai, Otou-sama." He hugged Sesshoumaru around the legs, then ran out of the room, and another fusama opened and closed down the hall.

Retrieving Toukijin from its locked cabinet outside the bedroom, Sesshoumaru made his way outside, into the chilly pre-dawn morning. Jaken hurried from his post at the gate to meet his master.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama. What can this-"

Sesshoumaru cut him off. "Jaken, allow no one, _no one,_ entrance until I return. The children are to stay in the compound, preferably in the garden or indoors. Should anyone gain entrance, I will revive your dead body myself so I can kill you personally. Do you understand?"

"H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. No one shall pass."

Sesshoumaru nodded stiffly, and Jaken moved back as he stretched into his true form, the snowy dog racing away into the sky.

Well after nightfall he found the shambles of the party's camp, reeking of blood and scattered with the corpses of lesser youkai. The taiji-ya and houshi were huddled over a low fire, the kitsune and neko-youkai cuddled close as well, and Inu-Yasha's blood floated on the air to tweak his nose. But of Kagome, there was no sight, smell or sound.

Sesshoumaru touched down on human feet, eyes glowing a baleful red. The humans looked up, faces devastated, and the two small youkai shrank back trying to escape the angry energy radiating from him. "What happened here?" he demanded, voice barely above a growl.

"Naraku's youkai…" the houshi started but Sesshoumaru waved him off, recognizing the particular stench in the air.

"They took Kagome," Sango supplied in a dead voice.

"Where is Inu-Yasha?" Sesshoumaru fought to keep the beast back enough to speak to the humans. _You may yet get your wish, Toukijin, to bathe in my worthless brother's blood._

Sango rose slowly, revealing flashes of bandage through the rents in her battle suit. "This way. We can't move him, and he wouldn't let us stay near him. It's… He's dying, Sesshoumaru-san. There's nothing we can do."

She led him to the edge of a copse of trees, and Sesshoumaru picked up even stronger the scent of his brother's blood, and it whispered to him that Inu-Yasha had done something truly foolish during the battle, something that smacked of desperation.

The hanyou was propped against a trunk, arms lying limp across his outstretched legs, eyes closed. If not for his shallow breathing and swiveling ears, Sesshoumaru might have thought him dead at first glance.

"Told you to leave me alone," he said, voice rusty and strained.

"Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru said quietly, and his eyes opened, bloodshot around the golden irises. Sesshoumaru could see too, as Inu-Yasha's head came up slowly, a violet streak burned across each cheek. His youkai markings, though clearly the beast was not in control. "What happened?"

"Fuckin' Naraku, fuckin' youkai." He coughed and gagged, spat something into the leaf litter that Sesshoumaru refused to look at. He couldn't ignore the fresh blood on his brother's lips, however.

"How bad?"

"Ribs broke, head cracked. Back's fucked. Hard to stay awake." He smirked, though it could have been a grimace. "You won't have to lift a finger."

Sesshoumaru stared down at him, trying to place what was wrong, aside from his brother's obviously broken condition. Blood stained his hands to the cuffs of his ivory sleeves… "Inu-Yasha, where is your haori?" The Inutaisho had bargained long and hard for that cloth, a constant supply for his beloved hanyou son.

"Kagome," he gritted out. "Was getting' cold. Thought it was safe enough…" He coughed again, and the fit left him without enough breath to speak.

"The youkai came from nowhere," Sango said quietly, picking up the tale. "There must have been a barrier. They had scooped up Kagome before we even knew what was happening. Inu-Yasha… He couldn't risk the Kaze no Kizu, not with them using her as a shield. He… He…"

"He abandoned it in favor of his true form," Sesshoumaru finished.

Sango nodded. "Hai. The last one, the one that had Kagome, threw him into the tree."

The katana was back with his brother now, Sesshoumaru saw. But even it had not been able to undo all the beast in Inu-Yasha had done. The stripes seemed burned into his cheeks, his claws long and wicked. "I 'member now," he murmured.

"What do you remember, Inu-Yasha?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"What I did, like this. Wanted to kill, wanted to…" The sentence faded with his strength.

"I know," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "You are fortunate today, Inu-Yasha." He waited until they were both looking at him, waiting for his pronouncement. "I have more need for you to live than wish to see you die." He reached for the carefully wrapped hilt of the Tenseiga. "Remove the Tetsusaiga for a moment, Sango-san."

She hesitated. "Sesshoumaru-san, without it…"

"I am aware. However, the swords will not work in opposition. Quickly. We still need to move camp tonight."

Sango slipped in next to Inu-Yasha. "I'm sorry. I promise I will return it at once." She stepped back, Inu-Yasha's sword tight in her hands and watched. 

Sesshoumaru slid his sword free, the silvery blade lethally beautiful in the moonlight, and yet it could not harm. He stared down at his brother, eyes narrowing, picking out the hideous demons hovering just off his brother's body, waiting anxiously for his life to flee. He swept the blade through them and over Inu-Yasha's form, scattering the youkai in a puff of preternatural smoke.

Inu-Yasha watched the katana sweep within an inch of his nose, and wondered if that was Sesshoumaru's way of amusing himself. Certainly, he'd heard enough times that Tenseiga could only heal, had seen it for himself, but there was no comfort in that with the blade whistling past his face. Then the pain faded, the bleeding stopped, and his head cleared of the lingering cobwebs. He pushed his way to his feet, willful stubbornness wining out over caution, and swayed unsteadily. A hand grabbed his arm, and he realized with a start that Sesshoumaru was holding him up as he found his balance. Once stable, he accepted the Tetsusaiga back from Sango, muttering a quick "Thanks."

"They're still there," she said, indicating his face.

"Yeah. They're not gonna go away. I… I pushed it too far, I guess." He picked his way through the trees, nose wrinkling at the stench in the air.

The others at the fire started as he pushed his way through. "Aaaiii!" Shippou shouted. "Inu-Yasha's come back as a mononoke!"

"Don't I wish, you pest," he replied without fire. "Hey, bouzu. We're moving. Place stinks. And we're gettin' Kagome back from that bakayaro Naraku first thing."

Miroku stood, kicking wet earth over the smoldering fire. "When do we leave?" he asked.

"Now," Sesshoumaru said, striding away through the litter of corpses.

Kagome walked the dark hallways on autopilot, making her way in laps around the central chambers of the castle. _Typical Naraku,_ she thought. _Hole up in some damned rotting compound, slap a barrier over it… How am I gonna let Sesshoumaru know where I am? He must be back by now. Please, Sesshoumaru, don't kill Inu-Yasha. He did everything he could…_ She'd seen the blazing eyes and wicked claws and wanted to weep. Each time Inu-Yasha let the demon out, he risked never being able to restrain it again, with or without the Fang. _I can't let Naraku use me,_ she thought, pushing away things she couldn't change. _So I either make myself useless or get away. I'm useless if I'm dead, but then, I'm dead, too, so that defeats the purpose. That leaves getting away, which doesn't appear too likely, but you never know._ She pulled the red haori closer around her body, closing out the chill in the air. She turned another corner and bumped into something, looking up in horror to find herself face to face with Naraku.

He stared down at her impassively. "You are the other miko, the one Kikyo despised."

She bit back the instinct to instruct him in the pronunciation of her name. He could just do without, damn it. "Well, I wasn't too fond of her then, either. Excuse me." She moved to step around him, but he reached out, grabbing her arm.

"You had the Jewel, Miko. I remember that as well. Where is it now?"

He couldn't sense it? Kagome worked hard to keep the joy from her face. "I don't know," she said neutrally. "I gave up the search five years ago."

"Yes. You disappeared five years ago, vanished from sight. And now that I have returned, you have as well. Do you find that interesting?"

She kept her expression bland. "I certainly didn't vanish from my point of view. I know where I was. Where were you?"

"Many places, Miko. And Inu-Yasha appeared out of the west with you and his half-brother. Are you working your way up the family tree, Miko?"

"I don't know what you mean," she insisted, pulling against his grip, but he only pulled her closer.

"One of them has had you, Miko. That much, I can smell. But which one? Who can I use you against?" He stared at her through narrowed eyes. "The elder, I would think. You seem very much his type. He loves power, after all."

"Naraku no baka," she sneered. "Sesshoumaru-sama hates human. What rock have you been under?"

He glared at her again, grip shifting to finger the cloth of the haori. "Of course. You would never betray that kono yaro hanyou. His loyalty, on the other hand…" He appeared to consider for several moment. "Yes, I think that should do nicely. My thanks, Miko-sama. You have just made this very interesting." He pushed her away and stalked off.

Kagome leaned against the wall, hoping things hadn't just gone from bad to worse.

_ Time to come out of the cage, imouto-san._

Kagome stirred in her sleep and woke. It was difficult enough to sleep without Sesshoumaru to curl up against, but the cold and sense of jaki hovering around Naraku made his castle extremely unpleasant.

_ There is something you must see._

Kagome blinked. "Hey, I'm awake here," she said, surprised.

_ Softly, please,_ Kikyo's voice said in her head. _There are things that can be alerted to my presence. Better if you speak to me only in here._

_Is Sesshoumaru back with the others? Are they coming yet?_

I don't know. Kikyo sounded almost regretful. _I can no longer sense them. Something has happened you must see._

Kagome stood, pulling the haori close. It was colder now then when she'd fallen into her fitful sleep. _What time is it?_

_ Near dawn, _Kikyo replied. _To the right, then left at the next corridor._

_ Where are you taking me?_

As I said, something has happened. Once you see, you'll understand. The door on the right. Quietly. Naraku is not far, and he would kill you if he knew you discovered this. 

She pushed open the fusama and slipped inside, closing it behind her. She stepped further into the room then stopped suddenly, almost falling over someone lying on the floor. A woman, she determined in the slowly growing light. A young woman, hardly more than a girl, with dark hair and a very familiar face. "Oh, Gods," she whispered aloud. "It's you."

_ Yes. Naraku thinks to taunt Inu-Yasha by forcing him to choose. He will hold both of us out and put him into position to save only one._

But I don't need Inu-Yasha to save me, Kagome protested. _Sesshoumaru will._

This is true, but Inu-Yasha will feel responsible for your capture, that this happened because of him. He will still be torn.

How do I stop it? Kagome asked, staring down at the lifeless body. _I don't have my bow._

Killing this body is not the answer. It has no life, and will not when Naraku presents it to Inu-Yasha. It is real enough to the senses, but there is no spirit within. Kikyo was silent for several moments. _You must escape,_ she said at last. _I can show you the way out, and from there, your friends will have a chance to find you._  
_  
What do you want me to do about this? _ Kagome gestured to the body on the floor.

_ Whatever seems best when the time comes. It will not hinder you in the battle. You must leave now, however. Go out through the other door._

Kikyo directed her through old dusty corridors and half-destroyed rooms, then down through storage spaces and finally out through a tiny door set low in the wall. _The barrier is not far. I cannot pass it with you. There is only one thing left I must tell you. You must trade brothers, Kagome. Your only hope of success lies in this._

_ You're kidding, right? I belong with Sesshoumaru._

_ It's not that simple. Now go, before you're found. _ Kikyo's presence left, and Kagome stumbled. There was a noise from the castle behind her, a great ruckus starting, and she ran, desperate to get away.

They didn't walk boldly down the middle of the road anymore, but picked their way through the forest, Inu-Yasha making his way from branch to branch overhead. He was awash with new sensations, scents, sounds. He could fairly taste the air when he opened his mouth. It was all dizzying, and a bit disturbing, too.

He dropped silently to the forest floor and waited for the others to catch up.

"Anything?" Sesshoumaru asked, leading the remainder of the party up to join him.

"Iya. Nothing new. Faint miasma." Golden eyes hard, his ears flicked constantly, taking in sounds he'd never heard before. "Kuso. Everything's too… Too much. Too many sounds, too many smells. I take back all the times I wanted to be full youkai."

"You're not," Sesshoumaru said flatly.

"I _know, _and all this crap is still too much!" He glared down at his hands. The blood was gone, and he'd washed the ivory kimono, but his claws still gleamed wickedly in the dappled light. "I _hate _this shit." He glared at the ground for a long moment, then his head popped up, a fraction of a second after Sesshoumaru's. "Sound. Something comin', could be big enough." He took to the trees again, racing from branch to branch in a red and white blur, then bursting out to tackle a figure in the road.

"Inu-Yasha!"

Sesshoumaru was beside them in a second, pulling Kagome off the ground and wrapping her in an embrace until only some of her hair and her dusty legs were visible.

Long minutes and untold heartbeats later he let her slide free until she was standing on her own feet again. "You're bleeding, though not badly," he said. "Where?"

She pulled back her hair to reveal a pair of ragged furrows on the left side of her neck, opposite Sesshoumaru's mark. "A branch got me," she said as he inspected the wound. "I was so busy watching where I was running from that I wasn't looking where I was going."

"How'd you get away?" Inu-Yasha asked.

She turned to answer him, and her face crumpled. "Oh, Inu-Yasha…" She brushed one striped cheek, but he turned his face away from her hand.

"It's nothing. Daijoubu. What about you?"

"Good enough." She slid out of the red haori and offered it back. "Arigato. I would have been really cold last night without it."

He shrugged back into it, and Sesshoumaru's arms wrapped around her, as if personally assuring she would never be chilled again.

"How did you get away, Kagome?" he rumbled. His children were well, his mate was back with him, the annoying hanyou Naraku would soon be destroyed, and then all would be well in Sesshoumaru's world.

"I had another of those dreams," she began, then broke off to hug Miroku, Sango and Shippou, assuring them over and over that she was fine, that she hadn't been harmed.

"About Kikyo?" Inu-Yasha asked, impatient as always.

She looked at Sesshoumaru. "You told him?"

"It came up in conversation, yes. What did she say?"

"It was different this time," Kagome explained. "I was awake, and I could hear her talking to me. I remember everything she said. Naraku asked me about the Jewel. I don't think he could sense it on me. He bugged me a lot about you, Inu-Yasha. He thinks we're still together. He was going to torture you, force you to choose between Kikyo and me." She turned back to Sesshoumaru. "He's resurrected her somehow, a flesh and blood body, I saw it. Her spirit said that it won't be fighting us. It's just a shell, a distraction. And she said…" Kagome trailed off, unsure how, or even if, she should continue. "What did she say?" Sesshoumaru asked, gold eyes locked with hers.

"To trade brothers. That it was the only way to win. I don't know what she meant, though. To pretend I am still with Inu-Yasha, to fool Naraku? He knows I've escaped by now, that I would tell you what I saw, the body… Maybe he didn't plan on my knowing her spirit's not in it. I don't know." She rubbed her face, then pushed her hair back. "I wish I could have told you more."

"We know more than we did. And you are returned to me. For the moment, that is sufficient." He drew Kagome against his side and looked to Inu-Yasha. "What do you think?"

"You're asking _my _opinion?" Inu-Yasha shook his head. "I dunno. We could try it. It's not like anything's gonna happen. I just…" He shook his head, and looked off in the direction from which Kagome had appeared. "Kikyo…"

Kagome curled further into Sesshoumaru's embrace, glad to simply be next to him again. It no longer hurt that Inu-Yasha was pining for another woman; he deserved his happiness, and Kikyo had always been its personification for him. "If it's what we have to do, I'm okay with it," she said quietly.

"I think we should continue as we have in the past," Miroku offered. "If Naraku already believes that Kagome and Inu-Yasha are still together, nothing in their behavior in battle would suggest otherwise. If he still plans to force Inu-Yasha to choose…"

"He will discover that the situation is not what he thought it was," Sango finished. "And we've seen him make mistakes when his plans don't progress smoothly."

"So we don't do anything different than normal?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"You do not," Sesshoumaru said. Reluctantly, he released Kagome and stepped away from her. "I am still here to protect you."

She nodded. "I know." She moved closer to Inu-Yasha, feeling very strange doing so under Sesshoumaru's gaze. "Ne, I guess it took me about two hours to get here from the castle. There's a barrier there…"

"Hontou?" Inu-Yasha sneered, and she smacked him on the arm out of habit.

"Yes, which is why you can't smell it, Mr. My-Nose-Is-So-Good." She stomped down the road, Inu-Yasha scrambling to catch up.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Perhaps this plan might work too well.

The Red Tetsusaiga cut the barrier like bean paste and they were through. Inu-Yasha leapt up the stone ramps with Kagome's familiar weight perched on his back, feet hardly touching the walls. Miroku and Sango rode Kirara with Shippou, and Sesshoumaru floated up as though untouched by gravity.

They landed in Naraku's abandoned compound, Kagome slipping easily to the ground and pulling her bow from her shoulder, ready for anything. The others ranged out, prepared for attack, shifting with tension in the empty dirt confines.

For a endless moment, all was still. Then a cackling voice broke from the main building.

"Kukuku. Inu-Yasha." Naraku appeared, baboon pelt slung around his waist. "Surprised? I am."

"To be alive, you mean? I can fix that."

"You had the Jewel, didn't you? And used it to become youkai, I see. What a waste. Let me show you something, Inu-Yasha. Something else you could have used the Jewel for." He gestured, and a figure joined him, moving stiffly in miko's garb.

"K-kikyo. Let her go, you bastard." Even prepared, his voice was full of anguish.

"Oh, perhaps I will. If you give me something in exchange. Something valuable."

_ Kagome, you must trade the brothers._

Kagome stared at the figure of the miko. It helped, really, to have something to focus on. I_ did. We're pretending I'm still with Inu-Yasha._

The inuyoukai are not what I meant. The other brothers.

Who, then? I don't understand.

Inu-Yasha must heal the heart of Naraku. Inu-Yasha, Onigumo and I are at the heart of this disaster, and we must be the center from which it heals. 

She heard a low pulse then, and turned in time to see Sesshoumaru's eyes go wide. "Kagome no baka," she muttered, racing over to him. "Give me the Tenseiga," she said quickly.

"Nani?"

"Please, I don't have time to explain. If you love me, give it to me. You'll get it back, I swear."

He blinked, then pulled the katana free and offered it to her.

She gripped it tight and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Arigato, itoshi. I'll be right back."

Sword clenched in one hand, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, ducking and dodging creatures from Naraku's cloud of youkai as Miroku and Sango along with Shippou and Kirara kept them back. She charged the arrow with purity, then leaped into a roll, coming up just below Inu-Yasha and stabbing at the Tetsusaiga with the arrow. It hit true, and the Fang shrank back to its unassuming form, a rusted chipped katana.

"Nande kuso?" he shouted as she knocked the sword from his hands.

"I got the wrong brothers," she shouted back, slapping the Tenseiga into his hands. "It has to be you. Heal Onigumo, and he'll lose control of the youkai."

"How do you know that?"

"Kikyo told me. Hurry!" She yanked the Tetsusaiga's scabbard free and raced to collect the sword. "You can trade back later. Just do it!"

She ran back toward Sesshoumaru, hearing silk rip as something passed close enough behind her to feel it. _You better not be lying to me, Kikyo._ Reaching Sesshoumaru, she held out the Tetsusaiga, and he stared at her as if she had gone mad.

"You can take it," she insisted, knowing what was racing through his mind. "It's not human blood it requires, it's human love; the desire to protect a human. Take the sword, Sesshoumaru, and protect me."

He grasped the tattered hilt, expecting to be blasted away, but the sword didn't react. He drew it forth from the sheath, and it grew, transforming into the ivory Fang he'd desired for so long. "Get behind me, koi," he instructed, sliding the Tetsusaiga's sheath into his sash above Toukijin. With a leap, he was levitating, and with a single slash, yellow fire poured forth from the blade, disintegrating the youkai pouring down from the sky.

Naraku's eyes widened, but he showed no other reaction. "You seem to have gotten the worst of that trade, Inu-Yasha. Your woman is his, your sword is his. What is left that is yours?"

He was seeing things, he was sure. Small, disgusting things were crawling all over Naraku and Kikyo. _Why didn't I see them before?_ The sword pulsed in his hand, and he stared down at it. _Well, if you like Sesshoumaru, you'll love me,_ he thought, and pulled the blade free. It glowed blue, and the tiny demon-things cowered. _Okay, Tenseiga. For now, it's you and me. _ Ash rained down from the sky as he sped across the dirt and jumped, sword flashing, carving not through Naraku, but through the disgusting creatures attached to him.

It felt like some kind of explosion as the youkai that made Naraku burst free, leaving the remains of the human thief lying on the steps.

"Inu-Yasha, move!" He looked up to see his brother staring down at him, Tetsusaiga poised to sweep away the remaining youkai in a single blow. He grabbed Kikyo's body, released from its puppetry and jumped, clearing the writhing bodies easily.

Yellow fire flashed again, and the youkai that had been Naraku evaporated. In the air, Sesshoumaru turned, catching sight of the taiji-ya and houshi fighting off the last of Naraku's servants, flashes from Kagome's arrows illuminating them at regular intervals. "Sango-san!" he called, and she looked up, nodding and fleeing with the others on Kirara as another blast of fire came down.

Sesshoumaru surveyed the castle from the air, and satisfied at last that the enemy had been decimated, settled slowly to the ground. He crossed the compound to Inu-Yasha, who was kneeling above the miko's body. "I don't know what to do," he said dully, staring down at her.

"You have used the sword?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes. It's not doing anything."

The taiyoukai studied the woman more carefully. "She is breathing, her heart beats. From what I can tell, she lives. Inu-Yasha." He sheathed the Tetsusaiga and held it out. "Thank you for the loan of your sword."

Inu-Yasha blinked, then held out the sheathed Tenseiga. "Yeah. Thanks." He replaced the katana at his side, gaze turning back to Kikyo's body. "I don't know what to do."

Kagome limped up, reaching out to lean on Sesshoumaru. "Twisted my ankle," she explained quickly, grimacing a little. "It'll be fine. What about Kikyo?"

"She appears to have no spirit," Sesshoumaru said, slipping a hand around Kagome's waist to support her more.

"Uh-huh." She glanced at Inu-Yasha. "Not a word out of you, mister. You screwed this up big last time."

He nodded silently, staring at the still form on the ground.

Kagome sighed. "Let me think about this a moment." She closed her eyes, reaching for the presence deep inside. _Kikyo?_

I am here, imouto-san. I see you found the answer.

I had some help. Your body is alive, Kagome explained.

_So I see. What do you propose?_

You wanted to be an ordinary human girl once. I think that can be arranged.

What about you? Kikyo asked.

_I think I can arrange it so we both survive. I have a lot to live for, too._

Yes, you do. And Inu-Yasha?

It's up to you. But you should know, his youkai blood is becoming more prominent. Can you live with that?

I can try. I will try. I cannot promise more than that.

Okay. But promise if you decide to break it off, you'll do it right. No arrows.

No arrows. On my honor. I suppose he and I will have to learn to trust one another this time.

It's a darned good start. Good luck, Onee-san. She opened her eyes and shifted, stepping out of Sesshoumaru's grip. "I know what I'm going to do," she said, kneeling across Kikyo's body from Inu-Yasha. "Let her go for a moment, Inu-Yasha. I can't predict what would happen if you were touching her when I do this."

"Do what?" he asked, scooting back a little.

"I'm going to restore her soul." She slid the Shikon no Tama over her head and freed it from its chain, taking Kikyo's hand and holding it with the jewel between her own.

Inu-Yasha leaned forward. "Ka-"

Sesshoumaru clapped a hand over his mouth. "Be quiet. Everything is in flux. To call to either of them now will disrupt the balance."

The mikos were glowing, the light growing brighter and brighter until even the humans with their pitiful eyesight were forced to look away. When it finally faded, neither woman had moved. Then, slowly, Kikyo sat up, assisted by Kagome.

"Arigato, imouto-san," she said, voice rusty from disuse.

"Do Itashimashite, onee-san." Kagome replied, helping Kikyo to stand. 

"All right, now?" Kagome asked as the former miko grew steadier on her feet.

"Hai, domo." Bare feet shuffled in the dirt, and she looked up. "Inu-Yasha? Oh, Inu-Yasha." Her voice was heartsick.

He looked away, his own heart ready to break. "I know you don't like it. You don't have to-"

Kikyo crossed the few feet between them, fingers stilling his lips. "I will, _we will_ learn to accept it. Yes?"

He could only nod, pulling her close and tucking her head under his chin. His eyes drifted closed for a long moment, and when he opened them, she was still there, holding him as if he would vanish were she to let go. Kagome stood where she had been, watching them with a gentle smile on her face.

She reached back, and Sesshoumaru's hand was in hers, pulling her a step back into his arms, and she could see Sango and Miroku exchanging a warm embrace as well. _Bet they'll have another little one before a year has passed,_ she thought.

Sesshoumaru's voice rang in her mind. _I would not wager against it._

_What?!_

Not now, koi, he soothed her. _ Later, when this conversation will not draw so much attention._

Shippou looked up from where he was resting on Kirara's broad back. "Oi, who'm I gonna hug?"

Kagome laughed and held her arms wide, letting the half-grown kit jump onto her. He was too big to curl up in her arms now, but she cuddled him for a good while before finally putting him down. "Shippou, can I ask you to do a big favor for me?"

"Sure, Kagome. Anything."

She glanced up at Inu-Yasha, then looked back to the kitsune. "Shippou, Inu-Yasha's a lot more youkai than he used to be, and he's gonna need a lot of help, from someone with experience, figuring it all out. Do you think-"

"Oi, wench, you want the _brat _to teach me to be a demon? Your brain really is broken!"

"Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru growled warningly.

"Feh!"

They traveled north en masse for two days, until Sesshoumaru announced as they were making camp that he and Kagome would break off the next morning, turning more to the west and returning to his domain. Kagome was disappointed a little, but it was time. Her life was in the Western Lands now, and the others would presumably be returning to the taiji village, perhaps with a stopover in Kikyo's home village. Kaede, well over 60 now, deserved a chance to see her sister at least once more in this life.

Kagome walked the riverbank near the camp, watching the cool water slip over the rocks in the stream bed, little fish darting here and there. So wrapped in her own thoughts was she that she didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching.

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked up to see Kikyo standing a few paces off. "Hey. Have a seat," she offered, patting the grass beside her.

"Thank you," the girl said, sitting gracefully.

"It's a free riverbank,' Kagome offered.

"No, though I thank you for your company as well. Thank you for bringing me back."

"I'm glad I did," Kagome said after a moment. "I wasn't sure I was going to be, but it was the right thing. You and Inu-Yasha deserve to be happy. And I'm sorry about, you know, before."

"Don't worry about it. That whole time is like a nightmare now, a dark dream I could only wander through and wish to be free of."

"So now what will you do?" Kagome asked. "I see you talkin' to Inu-Yasha a lot," she ribbed gently.

"We are starting over," the former miko admitted. "Talking about things, our feelings, the future. I have no power now, no ability to purify that which is tainted."

"I'm sorry about that," Kagome said quickly. "There wasn't really any other way..."

"I understand. And I have not lost my skill with herbs or healing. I think I will go to the taiji village. I can be useful there, whatever Inu-Yasha and I decide. They need a full time healer, and I can be that, and a teacher. And perhaps, in time, a mother." She smiled at the thought, the setting sun lighting her face with pinks and corals. "I think I would like that very much."

"I think you'd be a very good mother. Inu-Yasha, on the other hand. He's gonna need some training up for parenthood."

"Is Sesshoumaru a good father?" Kikyo asked.

"Oh, yes. A little stiff sometimes, formal, but it's a demanding role he has. And the children adore him, completely. Maybe he should give Inu-Yasha lessons."

Kikyo smiled gently. "Perhaps. Will we see each other again, Kagome? I want to think so, but something deep inside me says that this could be the end."

"I don't know." Kagome said honestly. "I hope we do. I'd like for you to meet my children, and to eventually see yours, and Sango's. I'd like us to be friends."

"Do you think it's possible, with everything that's happened?"

"This is the Land of the Gods. Anything is possible."

"And you'll tell her I'm alive?" Kagome asked again.

"Yes, woman, I will. I said it ten times, didn't I? You're alive, you're fine, if you can contact her, you will. Feh." Inu-Yasha was distancing them, she realized, pushing her away, separating her from Kikyo in his mind. It was what he needed to do, to make things work, especially now, and she let him. Later, perhaps, they could rebuild their close friendship.

"Okay." She hugged him again, and was gratified that he did hug her back at least. She went down the line, hugging each of them in turn and promising letters and visits whenever possible. She hugged Shippou last.

"Don't forget to help Inu-Yasha," she reminded him, loud enough for the hanyou to hear. "He's gonna need a lot of advice."

"Feh."

Sesshoumaru stood patiently by as the day wore on in good-byes. "Kagome," he said at last, "we still have a great deal of distance to cover."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru." She released the kitsune, wiping tears from her eyes and joined him, letting him lift her off the ground. She waved as the ground shrank away from them. "Ja ne."

The air was chilly as they soared through the sky, but tucked close to Sesshoumaru, Kagome didn't feel the cold.

"So do you want to tell me what you were doing in my head?" she asked over the rush of the wind.

"You were in my head, as well. Did you consider what you were doing when you gave Kikyo the humanity of your soul?"

"I was fairly sure I wouldn't kill either of us. She wanted to be human, and I thought it would be safest to keep the other part with me."

He shifted her in his arms, tucking the fur more securely around her. He could hold her for hours on end as she was, but wanted to see her face. "You still gave half of your considerable soul to another being. It created a void, which had to be filled."

"By what?"

"Whatever was closest."

She puzzled over that for a moment. "You and Inu-Yasha were the nearest at the time."

"It is more than physical proximity. Bonds of spirit matter as well."

"So what?" she asked. "Does that mean I sucked out part of you?"

"I believe we now share it, rather than one or the other owning the spirit, as it were."

"Oh." She snuggled further into his arms. "Well, there's no one else I'd like to have occupying my head with me."

"I agree. But it is not simply a matter of sharing space. You now possess at least a small piece of youki. I believe we can anticipate some interesting changes from this experience."

"Joy." She yawned. "Mind if I doze off for a while?"

"Not at all." He carried her northwest as she slept through the quiet night sky.

Epilogue

Kagome entered the study, several sheets of paper, waving from her hand. "Latest letter from Sango," she sing-songed, kneeling opposite Sesshoumaru. He set aside the scroll he was reading and turned his full attention to her. Their shared youki had left her mostly unchanged, though her ears were decidedly more pointed, and her nails longer and harder. All in all, she appeared to be a beautifully delicate inuyoukai female.

"What does she have to say?"

"Ne, Miroku's a father again, girl this time. He seems to have had about the same reaction you did. Do all men think girls come from the cabbage patch or something?" She caught his quizzical look and moved on. "Never mind. Not important."

"How many is that?" he asked.

"Seven. Six boys, one girl. Sango thinks a break would be nice, she and Kikyo have been talking over herbs?"

"To prevent pups?"

"People do it," Kagome said, scanning the letter further. "Shippou has apparently discovered that girls are nice-looking, and smell interesting. There's a colony of kitsune not too far from the village, keep to themselves, don't create trouble, really. Shippou's been to visit several times. Sango thinks he might move permanently someday soon." She sighed.

"All children grow up," he pointed out.

"True. Oh, and Inu-Yasha finally got around to asking Kikyo. Don't know what he was waiting for. Kikyo said last time she wrote that they had been fairly serious for months. They plan to have a simple ceremony very soon, 'perhaps before you receive this. Miroku has agreed to officiate, because-' Ha!"

"What?"

Kagome grinned broadly. "Congratulations. You're going to be an uncle."

_"They _are having pups?"

She nodded. "At least one, with any luck. Huh. I'll have to write back right away, and let Inu-Yasha know he's in the same boat."

"_What?!_"

"Knew I could eventually ruffle that cool exterior. Double congratulations. You're going to be a father, again."

"You are not jesting with me?" he asked suspiciously.

"Not about this."

"You have not been ill, though."

She shrugged. "It's different every time, or so they said in Family Life class. I just figured it out today." She set the papers down and reached for his hand. "Here, feel this." Through trial and error, they had discovered that exchanging information through their shared soul was much easier when accompanied by touch. She opened herself up to the new presence inside her, and led him to feel it as well.

"That is my pup?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah. So start thinking of names," she suggested. "Boys and girls. We're not going to wait for something bright to pop out of my mouth again."

"How long?" he asked,

"Months," she replied. "A couple more than Kikyo, I'm sure, considering how long this letter took to get here." She started flipping through the pages again, but he brushed them aside, lifting her to her feet.

"You make me very happy, Kagome-koi, and I neglect sometimes to tell you that." He pulled her into a warm embrace, and she nestled her head against his chest, feeling his heart, beating for her.

"I know, Sesshoumaru-sama. Believe me, I know." Sesshoumaru looked up from the papers he was reading as the _fusama_ slid open, admitting Kagome into the sanctuary of the library. His golden eyes tracked her as she moved toward the hearth, watching as she habitually fiddled with a water kettle, setting it to heat for tea.

"You are quiet this evening, Mate," he observed after a moment.

"Am I?" she asked, turning slightly toward him. "I'm sorry. What do you want to talk about?"

He set the papers aside. "Whatever is troubling you, of course."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Do not be coy with me, Kagome. What is bothering you?"

She shook her head. "I'm not trying to be coy. I don't know what's bothering me." She turned back to stare into the fire for a moment. "Tomorrow is my birthday, you know."

"Yes." She liked to follow the human tradition of observing various birth anniversaries, particularly making a large fuss for each of the children, and he'd learned that it was appropriate to offer some token of affection on those days. His gift to her this year, a carefully crafted over-kimono, was already tucked away, just waiting for the right moment to be revealed.

"I'll be 30," she continued. "I went down the well on my fifteenth birthday, so tomorrow, I will have spent half my life in the Sengoku Jidai, the odd days here and there aside."

"Do you regret you decision to stay?" he said, voice carefully neutral.

"No, of course not," she replied quickly. "It's just… I was raised half my life to focus on what I was going to do when I grew up. And now…" She trailed off, uncertain how to continue.

"Now that you have grown up, as you put it, you are unsure about what you are doing?" Sesshoumaru supplied.

"Not unsure," she clarified. "I know I'm meant to be here with you. But what would I be doing if I hadn't?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, silver waterfall of hair shimmering in the firelight. "I have no frame of reference for your life in the future. You have never expressed any interest in trying to return."

Kagome busied herself with making tea for several minutes. "I've thought about it on occasion," she said finally, carrying the tea things on a lacquered tray to the low table where he sat. She knelt and arranged things just so. "But the well refused me when I was first pregnant, and I haven't had the heart to try since. I didn't want to risk being trapped on the other side."

"Assuming that were to happen, you would find me waiting there."

She smiled and set about pouring tea for them. "What were you reading?"

He offered her the sheaf of carefully inked pages. "Sango-san has written again."

Kagome smiled happily. "Oh, good. What does she say?"

"She and the monk are well, and their children," he started.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled, scanning through the pages. "Did she say how Kikyou was doing?" The former miko had lost several children early in her pregnancies, much to everyone's distress. However, the most recent seemed to be going well, apparently due in part to Inu-Yasha's insistence that she remain home resting at all times. "Maybe we should have invited her to stay here…"

"I would have killed Inu-Yasha within a month, perhaps a week." He blinked, sipping his cooling tea. "Too many children have grown up without their parents in this family." He waited for Kagome to set her own tea down, then continued. "Kikyou delivered prematurely. Neither she nor the child survived."

The sheets fell from Kagome's numb fingers. "Kikyou…" she breathed. Her rival, adversary, enemy, the woman who could have ruined her life. And her sister-miko as well, who had given her the clue to Naraku's final destruction. "I hope she finds peace. How is your brother taking it?"

The corner of Sesshoumaru's lip twitched, just a bit. "Badly, of course."

Kagome made a soft noise, gathering up the papers she'd dropped. A folded and sealed packet dropped out of the pile, and she picked it up, frowning at the unfamiliar design pressed into the wax. Turning it over, she just made out the scrawl of Sesshoumaru's name on the front. She handed it over silently, and he twitched an eyebrow at the calligraphy. Flipping it, he snorted at the sight of the seal. "Of course. Inu-Yasha."

"That's Inu-Yasha's seal?" Kagome asked. She couldn't remember ever seeing any design in the sealing wax of Inu-Yasha's infrequent letters. "I thought it would be similar to yours."

"He prefers the crest of his mother's family, when he deigns to use one. I believe his mother left behind the seal my father commissioned for him. As she left everything else that was intended for him."

"Except for the sword."

Sesshoumaru leveled a gaze at her across the table. "Because she had no choice. I was made guardian of my father's lands, and Inu-Yasha his body."

Kagome saw the tension starting to form in his frame, and felt the roiling in his spirit. She reached out and grabbed his hand, reinforcing their peculiar connection. "Hey, it's over now, remember? You don't need the Tetsusaiga to protect me or yourself."

"Perhaps I would have liked to have had the… trust, Inu-Yasha was given."

"Maybe," she allowed, "but that would have left the Western Lands in Inu-Yasha's hands. Just how well do you suppose that would have worked?"

"He would have made a very poor Lord of the Western Lands." Breaking the seal, he unfolded the wrapper and cast it aside, opening the letter inside. It was a single sheet, thin, and Kagome could see the scrawl of _kanji_ that sprawled down the page.

"Not very tidy, is it?" she asked, going back to ordering the many sheets from Sango and starting in to read them thoroughly from the beginning.

"No," Sesshoumaru replied shortly. He picked up a brush and set out a blank scrap of paper, transcribing the note into something more legible.

Kagome turned her attention back to the letter from Sango.

…_and I fear the strain is too much for Inu-Yasha. Since her funeral, he has removed himself to Midoriko's Cave, where we laid Kikyou-sama's ashes to rest. I am not sure if he is guarding her against another attack like that of the witch Urasue, or if he simply cannot bear to be parted from her. In all truth, I could understand if this were the case. The woman who served as our village healer was so different in every way from the construction we fought so often. I see now why he could never be turned from her memory. I hope this revelation does not pain you now, Kagome-chan. I know time and love have healed your wounds, as they will eventually heal Inu-Yasha's. I fear his wounds are very deep this time though, my friend. To lose the love of one's life twice-over. The pain must be so great..._

There was an obvious break in the letter, as though it had been put aside then taken up again, both in haste.

_...He has finally left the cave, Kagome, and has spoken of leaving here, of leaving her to rest in peace. I cannot help but think, Kagome-chan, that he will seek you out. I know that it is much to ask, but if you can help him, I wish you would. He is so beaten now, like nothing I have ever seen-_

"_Kuso!_"

Kagome looked up from Sango's letter to see Sesshoumaru glaring at the one he held, as though with his very gaze he could destroy it. "Is everything all right?"

"No." Sesshoumaru crumpled the letter into a tiny ball. "My brother is out of his mind with grief, it seems. He intends to return home."

"To his forest?" she asked. It seemed to her the worst place for him to go. Inu-Yasha's Forest was literally teeming with memories of Kikyou.

"No," he repeated, chucking the paper past her into the fire across the room. "He is coming here." He stood abruptly and walked out, leaving Kagome staring into her cold tea.

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

She finally caught up with him again in their private chambers. He stood on the balcony, staring out over the garden where it lay quietly blanketed in dew and moonlight.

"Would it be that bad a thing, having him here?" she asked, joining him.

He flicked a glance at her. "Would you wish to live with Kikyou?"

"It would certainly take some getting used to. What ever happened to make you such enemies?" Kagome asked.

"You know about the _Hyounekozoku_ already," Sesshoumaru replied dismissively.

"Yeah, but I get the feeling there was some tension before then. Why?"

He snorted irritably. "Do you never cease asking questions, woman? What difference can it make now?"

The trick, she had learned long ago, was not to cower when Sesshoumaru pretended to be angry. "I'd just really like to know," she said quietly, neither challenging nor retreating.

He glared at her for a long moment, but she merely returned his stare, refusing to be cowed. "I told you that when Lady Machiko left, she took nothing from this place. Not the limitless collection of kimono my father had made for her, not a single toy he bought solely for her amusement. She left everything behind, with the exception of the black pearl and Inu-Yasha. I had been away from home when Father battled Ryuukotsusei. By the time I received word and made my way back, she was gone like a thief in the night, as though she had never been, as though my father had been nothing to her. She raised Inu-Yasha to be weak, to hate demons, to ignore everything he should have been."

"But why hate Inu-Yasha for these things?"

There was another long moment of silence. "Because she was the closest thing to a real mother I knew, and I could not hate her for it. When she left this place, she left me as well." He turned and walked back inside, leaving the room before Kagome could follow.

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- 

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

She woke when the _fusama_ slid open, lifting her head from where she'd rested it on her folded arms, kneeling at the low table, a cup of tea cold before her.

Sesshoumaru glanced at her as he strode in, sliding the sheathed Tenseiga from its place at his waist. "Why have you not retired?" he asked, setting the katana reverently in its place in the shrine.

"Waiting for you," she said quietly, rising slowly as she felt her lower legs start to tingle, waking up. Kagome watched him for a moment as he pulled off his armor and shrugged free of the fur wrapped around his shoulder. She started to free herself of the cumbersome layers of kimono she was wearing when a warm hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Wait," he instructed.

Silently, she nodded, pulling the collar of her _uchikake_ back up. Her fingers tightened against the rich fabric, and she consciously relaxed her hands to avoid ripping the silk. She remained silent as Sesshoumaru stripped off his own kimono and _hakama_, leaving only a plain white silk robe.

From his _tansu_, he removed a wrapped package, then crossed the room to stand in front of her. "I know you do not ask questions I do not wish to answer simply for the sake of irritation, and it is never my intention to loose my temper on you." He held out the package, and startled, she took it. "Your birthday is tomorrow, as you said. I had this made in honor of the occasion."

It was soft and heavy in her hands, wrapped in red cloth with a bright gold cord holding it closed. "Should I open it now?" she asked.

His head tilted slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched up in the tiniest of smiles. "It is yours. Do as you wish with it."

She flashed him one of her brilliant grins, really, it was impossible to remain angry or hurt when he did things like this, and pulled on the free end of the cord holding the wrapper in place. The knot came free, and the fabric spilled open to reveal a mass of more fabric. She held it out between them, letting folds fall out, and gasped.

It was another _uchikake_, of which she had several. But this one, a vibrant shade of blue that captured the sky just after sunset, was richly embroidered in row after row of repeating _kanji_. She studied it more closely and saw their names over and over, Sesshoumaru's, the children's, and characters he must have personally selected for her name as well as Rin's. He'd apparently chosen the characters for 'divine protection' for her, as well as 'see' or 'look,' and the simple but telling 'companion' for Rin. And he had remembered her preference for Taishomaru's name as well, she realized, running her fingers lightly over the characters for 'Perfect Victory.' "Oh, Sesshoumaru, it's beautiful. Thank you so much. I will be honored to wear it."

He slipped around behind her and carefully divested her of the sea-green robe she wore, then held the blue one as she slid her arms carefully into the sleeves. They fell just to the ends of her hands, leaving her fingers free to peek out, and the padded hem puddled on the floor, pulling out into a short train as she took a few steps forward.

She turned back to face him, and the cloth wrapped around her, the silver embroidery sparkling in the low light. "What do you think?" she asked, looking up at him through lowered eyelashes.

Sesshoumaru circled her, studying her intently from all angles. "Exceptional," he decided at last, coming to rest behind her and leaning down to puff into her ear. "And the kimono is acceptable as well."

Kagome felt his hands on her shoulders, and then the heavy weight of the robe was lifted away. "I'm glad we meet with your approval," she murmured.

"You always meet with my approval." He pulled out the knot in her obi next, continuing their nightly ritual.

"Even when I ask endless questions?" she asked softly.

He snorted, but gently. "Almost always," he amended. "I suppose perfect obedience would be too much to ask."

"You suppose right. I got the impression you didn't know your own mother well. Will you tell me something about her?"

He sighed deeply. "She was the Lady Tettsume, from the _Kita_ clan on Hokkaido, a second cousin to my father on his mother's side. It was a political arrangement." He pulled the last of her layers of silk away and ran his hands over her skin, reveling in the scent of her warming flesh. "From the few times I was summoned by her to be 'inspected,' I gathered that she and Father had very differing personal agendas. My father was endlessly fascinated with humans; their idiosyncrasies and foibles. Between the demands of holding the West and his personal interests, he had very little time to raise a son. And my mother," he spat the word out with bitterness, "felt she had performed her duty to the _Nishi_ clan and returned home. I remained at my father's den in the care of various servants."

"Not here?" Kagome asked after a sluggish pause. Sesshoumaru's roving hands were making concentration very difficult.

"No. This place came later, after my father had secured his domain."

"And how did Lady Machiko come into the picture?"

He steered her toward the futon. "She was the last in a succession of unofficial consorts my father kept, the daughter of a local _daimyo_ given to him as a 'gift'. Ma-chan was the only female who showed me any kind of consideration, any kindness or gentleness of spirit. The others were only seething harpies, looking for any opportunity to bind themselves to my father through any means possible. She also proved to be the only one capable of surviving a _hanyou_ pregnancy." He tucked Kagome under the covers then joined her, abandoning his kimono as he did so. "I mentioned once that it can be very difficult," he continued, pulling Kagome back against his chest and tucking her head under his chin. "She had power in her own right, though not with the strength of a true miko. It helped sustain her before the birth. The other women were not so fortunate."

Kagome tried to wrap her mind around what it must have been like for him, a growing boy seeing one woman after another come into the household and die. It could easily be traumatic enough to make someone close themselves off to feeling anything, particularly if you added being treated like a third wheel at best.

"So Machiko was different?" she prompted, wanting to hear more of the tale.

"She spoke _to_ me, she cared to hear my opinion. I was older than her, of course. I'd gone to spend a few years at the _Kita_ Court, and when I came back, Father had built this place, had stabilized his domain. She welcomed me home, though I had never been here. She told me she was glad I had returned, that my father could use good counsel, that she had heard from him many good things about me. I felt... useful, _wanted_." He pulled her closer into the curve of his body. "It is an intoxicating thing, to be wanted, _needed_. I remained, simply to indulge myself in that feeling.

"She was young when I first saw her, no older than when I first encountered you with Inu-Yasha, I believe. It was perhaps five or six years before Inu-Yasha was born, and during that time, she gave every appearance of being content here. She appeared to pay no attention to the whispers in the council against her, a human wench raised to the position of mate of the _Tai-Inuyoukai_. She laughed, she sang, she played with her son in the garden. It was all too perfect. Then Ryuukotsusei became involved, spewing a torrent of poisonous words, that she was unfaithful, that Inu-Yasha was not of my father's blood. He had to answer the lies, and sealed the dragon-_youkai_. But his wounds were grievous, and he died, leaving instructions designed to protect Inu-Yasha from himself. I was on Hokkaido with the _Kita_ when word finally reached us, and set out for home at once. But the dragon had forged an alliance with a member of the council, and he went to work on Lady Machiko. My mother's hatred of humans was legendary, my own disdain well-known as well. Machiko, in her grief, was swayed by the serpent's tongue and became convinced I would kill the pup to assure my succession. She fled with Inu-Yasha and the clothes on her back."

Kagome rolled and squirmed in his grip until she was facing him, her eyes level with his. "I think that's the most you've _ever_ told me about your life," she said quietly.

"I trust I do not have to repeat myself, then? It is not a subject I care to revisit often, if ever."

"No, I understand. Can I ask one more thing?" He cocked an eyebrow, and she plowed on. "Is your mother still living?"

"Hai. On Hokkaido. She is banished from the West, not that she would ever deign to visit. It came out much later, after my father's death, that she had conspired to keep me away, to keep me from being at his side during the battle. Because of her station in the _Kita_ clan, I cannot demand her life. But I can keep her out of mine forever." He tucked Kagome's head back under his chin, pulling her slight form into his. "Sleep now, Mate. Storytelling will not hold off the dawn forever."

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Days passed, then weeks, and the matters of daily life pushed Inu-Yasha and his plans to the back of Kagome's mind. Her life went on as usual, overseeing the fleet of servants who ran the house, seeing that the needs of the infrequent guests were met, and teaching her children the things she felt they needed to know. She struggled sometimes, wondering if she should warn them of the chaos to come, to arm them against the rising tide of warring human politics. The _youkai_ lords she'd spoken to about it had seemed supremely disinterested, however. They were boulders in the stream of human events, and as long as their demands for tribute were met, they cared little about the identities of the _daimyos _under them. It was a shadow-world she was part of now, a whole hierarchy missing from her history books. But the truth was that any area under the auspices of a _Taiyoukai_ lord could expect protection, and, if not peace, at least retribution should they be attacked.

"Kagome-sama?"

She pulled herself from her musings. "_Hai_, Jiro-san?"

The retainer bowed. "My Lady, there is an _inuyoukai_ at the gate demanding entrance."

"Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin-chan have already left, haven't they?" she said, rising from the low table.

"Hai, My Lady. The Lord left strict orders that no one was to be admitted until his return without your express orders."

"Well, I should see who's knocking on the door, then. Maiko, watch the children." The servant-girl nodded, and Kagome followed the guard around the side of the buildings and through the interior gate to the courtyard.

Kagome had long ago given up trying to identify the _youkai_ in the castle complex by their energy. The sheer number of demons present made it almost impossible to distinguish individual signatures, and her miko senses would be constantly screaming at her if she didn't deliberately dampen them. Various _taiyoukai_ made visits to Sesshoumaru as well, and she had ceased trying to guess who was demon and who was human. Frankly, very few humans deliberately crossed their threshold.

"Thank you for coming, Lady," another guard, Taki, said, respectfully taking her arm to help her up the step to the top of the wall. "Sesshoumaru-sama's orders regarding your protection were very clear."

'_If she's injured, you die,' more than likely,_ Kagome thought. "It's fine, Taki-san. I'm glad to come out and look."

He led her to an arrow loop, already manned, the archer's arrow already nocked, though the bow was undrawn. "There he is, Lady," Taki said, pointing.

The _youkai_ stood a prudent distance back from the gates, a large traveling bag thrown over one shoulder, along with a sturdy-looking bow. Kagome took in the long white hair and canine ears with a wry smile. Surely, there couldn't be two of them out there.

She shifted forward a little, catching the edge of the loop to balance herself, and as if she'd made some noise, the traveler's head came up, golden eyes fastening on her as though he knew where she was.

Kagome sighed and shook her head slightly. "Open the gates, please. I know who it is." She stepped back from the arrow loop and walked over to the stairs. "I'll go down and meet him."

"But who is it, Lady?" Jiro asked.

"Sesshoumaru-sama's brother, of course. Inu-Yasha."

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Kagome was down in the packed-earth courtyard within seconds, carefully placed where the opening of the gates would reveal her immediately, then gave the nod, and the heavy iron-clad wood portal was pulled slowly open. The sense of Inu-Yasha's _youki_ rolled against her as she let down her walls, unimpeded now that the magic-infused barriers between them were gone. She peered out at him under lowered lashes, watching him walk slowly through the opened doors. There was a sense of recognition in his energy, of relief, of coming home, and her brows contracted slightly. _I hope you don't think of me as home, Inu-Yasha,_ she thought to herself. _This may be the place of your birth, and I'd be the last to argue against your right to be here, but don't start associating that feeling with me. You don't own that part of me anymore._

Clawed bare feet padded into her vision, at the end of legs covered in billowing red cloth, and the corner of her lips twitched_. Of course. He'd never change that much._ One clawed hand came into view, gently touching her hands, folded low in front of her. "Kagome?"

Something almost electric in the touch startled her, and reflexively she wrapped herself in power. It wasn't her own purifying energy she reached for, however, but Sesshoumaru's _youki_, folding it around herself and letting it radiate outward. Once safe in her mate's phantom embrace, she lifted her head, face displaying exactly what her spiritual proximity to the _taiyoukai_ had done to her.

She watched Inu-Yasha's amber eyes flicker red for less than a second as the competing _youki_ rolled over him before washing away. Then she stood patiently still as he took in her eyes, more citrine now than brown, her distinctly pointed ears, and the pair of blue stripes that wrapped around her neck, almost touching at the front, staining Sesshoumaru claim-mark on one side, and an old injury on the other. He reached out again, slowly this time, careful not to startle her again, and lifted her hand to study the sturdy claws that tipped her fingers. They were lacquered pink at the moment, as it happened, and he smirked. "Still painting yourself?"

She shrugged a little, carefully reclaiming her hand. "It was Himeko-chan's idea. She likes to decorate things, myself included. Inu-Yasha, I'm so sorry about Ki-"

"Don't say it," he interrupted. "Not right now."

She nodded, understanding, and set her face as close as she could to a happy smile. Reaching out deliberately, she took his arm to propel him into motion, turning to walk with him. "I'm glad you came," she said, drawing him toward the main doors. "This is where you belong."

"Keh. I'm sure Sesshoumaru doesn't think so," he replied, but allowed her to drag him along.

"He'll get used to the idea," she said. "I'm sorry he's not here to greet you himself. I hope your feelings aren't too hurt."

He snorted. "My feelings have _never_ been hurt by his absence, Kagome. You should know that by now."

She giggled slightly, a strange sound at her age, and one she wasn't sure she'd ever make again. "I guess so." She stole a peek up at his face. The violet youkai striping, once so jagged, seemed to have smoothed a little with age. "You look well, all things considered."

He just snorted again. "So where is my _anikisama_?" he asked.

From the inflection he gave the word, Kagome was more than half-convinced he was looking for his 'big brother, the bastard,' rather than his 'honorable older brother,' and she smacked his arm lightly in reproval.

"Watch your mouth around the children, if you please. Taishomaru delights in picking up new words, and I'm sure that one would please him no end."

"Keh."

She read his response correctly as the closest she would get to surrender. "Sesshoumaru took Rin to visit the local _daimyo_."

"Why?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Because she's well past the age here to have a husband and children of her own. And the _daimyo_ has a younger son who caught her eye. The feeling is mutual, if I understand correctly."

"So you're just handing her over to some _daimyo_ you don't even know?" Inu-Yasha demanded.

"Of course not," Kagome snapped back. "The _daimyo_ and his family have previously offered various female relatives to 'appease the demon-lord.'"

Inu-Yasha's nose twitched. "Wasted effort on their part. Keh."

"Exactly. But now they have something we're interested in. I'm sure the matter will be settled very shortly. Not that I'm certain exactly what he's going to do here, honestly."

"Mated to Sesshoumaru's oldest daughter? Cower in fear a lot." He rested a hand over hers, squeezing gently. "I'm really glad to see you, Kagome."

Her smile tightened a fraction. _I could have done without hearing that_, she thought. "Good," she replied, non-committally. The main house doors opened before them, and she repressed a sigh of relief. Hana stood back from the opening, bowing deeply.

"Kagome-sama. Welcome, Inu-Yasha-sama."

Kagome detached herself from Inu-Yasha's arm and stepped out of her _geta_. "Hana-chan, please show Inu-Yasha-sama to the rooms prepared for him. I should return to the children. I left them with Maiko-chan, and I'm sure they've convinced her to do something foolish by now."

Hana bowed again. "I hope Kagome-sama will forgive my daughter's shortcomings…"

Kagome laughed. "I'm teasing, Hana-chan. Inu-Yasha, you know where the garden is. Why don't you join us when you're ready?" Before he could answer, she flitted through an open _fusama_ and disappeared.

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Sesshouinu, Himeko and Maiko were dancing in a circle around Taishomaru when Kagome returned to the garden, and she stopped just under the roof to watch for a moment as they played. The light wind carried not only their scent to her, but their words as well.

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_Kagome Kagome,  
Kago no naka no tori wa,  
Itsu itsu deyaru?  
Yoake to ban ni.  
Tsuru to kame ga subetta,_  
_Ushiro no shoumen dare?_

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The song came to an end and they stopped, silent while Taishomaru stood in the center, little hands over his eyes.

"Maiko-chan?" he guessed, trying to identify who was behind him.

"No, not this time, Taishomaru-sama," the serving girl said with a laugh.

Himeko giggled. "He's going to be in the cage all day at this rate."

"Give him a break, Hime-chan," Sesshouinu said from where he stood behind his brother. He leaned over, and Kagome had to strain to hear what he was whispering in the boy's elfin ear. "Don't just guess, _Otouto-chan_. Use more than your ears. You've got other senses, you know." He tapped the little boy on the nose and straightened up. "Come on. One more round."

They started again, and Kagome slipped nearly silently across the grass, sliding into the circle between her children, refraining from singing to give away her presence. With a little nudging, she was directly behind her youngest when the song came to an end, and she heard his little nose go to work. Clearly, Sesshouinu's hint had been taken to heart by his adoring little brother.

The little boy's head popped up. "_Okaa-sama!_" he shouted, turning and throwing himself into her arms. She lifted him up so he could wrap his arms around her neck. "Did you see? I got it right! Inu-niichan told me how!"

She smiled at his beaming expression, then shifted him to reach out and ruffle the heavy bangs that fell into the eyes of her eldest. "Inu-chan gave you some very good advice," Kagome agreed. "You'll have to return the favor one day."

Sesshouinu only stared at the ground and said nothing, but Taishomaru bounced in her arms. "I will, Okaa-sama. I'm gonna be the best aviser..."

"Advisor," Kagome corrected.

"Advisor anyone ever saw!" he finished excitedly. Then he squirmed restlessly in her grip and she let him slide carefully to the ground. "It's your turn in the center, _Okaa-sama,_" he informed her seriously, his expression morphing into one eerily similar to Sesshoumaru's.

"That's right. It certainly is." She took his place in the center and closed her eyes, listening as the voices swirled around her. When first learning to control and use the _youki_ she shared with Sesshoumaru, she had played this game often with Hana, Maiko and Sesshouinu, including Himeko when she grew old enough to understand. Now she deliberately closed off her miko senses again and waited for the song to end before trying to pinpoint the locations of those around her.

At last the singing stopped and she lifted her nose to the air. Taishomaru was to her left, then Himeko on his left, Maiko, then Sesshouinu. But if she could smell then all more or less in front of her, who was left to be behind? She tilted her head a tiny bit, trying to catch any shift of air currents, then gave up and reached out for energy signatures. She felt the children immediately and the servant girl, then picked up the signature that answered her question.

"You know, if you'd been singing, I would have had a better chance to identify you, Inu-Yasha." She turned and offered him a mock-glare.

"Keh. Like you didn't use the same trick on the pup." He reached out and took her arm, pulling her out of the circle. "I need to talk to you."

She gently removed her arm from his grip. "Maiko-chan, why don't you take the children in for lunch. Inu-Yasha-sama and I will eat out here."

The girl nodded and herded the young ones away, and Kagome turned back to Inu-Yasha. "What did you want to tell me?"

He waited until the children were out of sight, then led her over near the main building, picking up the bow she'd seen earlier and offering it to her. "Kikyou asked me to give it to you. She was still a great shot; she did her share of protecting the village, the children. But at the end, she wanted... She wanted you to have it."

Kagome took the bow and automatically tested the tension on the string, lifting it into position and drawing back an imaginary arrow. The heavy sleeves of her over-kimono would have fouled any shot, but she could feel well enough the power in the bamboo and wood composite and the quality of the gut stringing it. Slowly, she released the string and lowered the bow to her side. "Thank you, Inu-Yasha. It's beautiful, and I'm sure it meant a great deal to her. I'm honored to have it." She saw kitchen servants bringing out trays, and drew Inu-Yasha from his introspection. "Come on. Lunch is served."

The fuzzy ears atop his head perked up. "Cup ramen?"

She laughed. "Don't be silly. I haven't left the Sengoku Jidai in 13 years. Noodles, yes, I'm sure. But not in a paper cup. You'll just have to eat out of a bowl like the rest of us."

"Keh," he snorted, marching off in the direction of the food.

Kagome allowed herself to relax a tiny fraction. If they could just stay on the 'old friends' track, maybe this could work out.

"Come on, _Aniyome_. The food's gonna get cold."

_Yeah_, she thought to herself. _This will be okay._

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The hiss of the opening _fusama_ woke Kagome from her sleep, and instinctively she slid her hand under her pillow, reaching for the _tanto_ concealed at the head of the futon between the frame and padding.

Sesshoumaru's voice came to her out of the darkness. "Peace, Mate. You are safe."

Kagome released the knife and rolled, propping herself up on her elbows to stare into the darkness. Rays of moonlight filtered in the high open windows, and Sesshoumaru seemed to be toying with them, or her, letting them catch an arm here, a hip there, a silver waterfall of hair that covered ivory skin as silk fell to the floor. She was ready to huff with impatience at his games until he turned and advanced on her, moving through the moonlight as it stroked up his body like a lover's touch.

"Are you teasing me?" she managed to ask once her voice was working again.

His head tilted a fraction, sending silvery hair sliding to one slide. "Only if I, what is the phrase, fail to deliver?"

She let her body fall flat to the futon as he slid over her, relishing the return of his scent and the familiar weight of his body. "I didn't think you'd be back tonight."

"Rin was invited by the _daimyo's_ wife to remain for a few days, supposedly to acquaint her with the son's preferences. Like it matters," he snorted before burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. "I take it Inu-Yasha arrived," he said with a faint growl.

"You didn't need to smell my hair to tell you that," she chuckled. His sensitive nose was working its way down her neck, across her shoulder, and into the valley of her cleavage.

"I wish to be certain he behaved himself."

Kagome threaded her fingers through his hair and gently tugged him back up so they were on eye-level. "Assuming that he misbehaved implies that I did as well," she said quietly, her lips less than an inch from his.

"So I should trust him not to try winning your affection again?" He slid his hands along her arms until their fingers were interlaced.

"Trust me not to be the prize." She stretched their linked hands above her head and wrapped her legs around his, rolling them with a shift of her weight, coming to rest above him, straddling his hips. "I missed you," she said simply.

He pulled her down until they were less than an inch apart again. "And I you."

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Sesshoumaru would have preferred to avoid his _hanyou_ brother entirely. Certainly, the castle was large enough that, with care, he could have cautiously lived around Inu-Yasha indefinitely without really seeing him. If, that is, he was willing to give up spending any time with Kagome and the children during the day. Sesshoumaru was under no delusions as to his brother's sudden return. Inu-Yasha wanted something that could only be obtained here. And the only thing they had in common by choice was the _miko-youkai_. So rather than taking breakfast with his mate and children outdoors, as he would have preferred, he was seated in the main room, waiting for his blasted brother to decide to wake up and join him.

He was ready to give up and join the others in the garden when Inu-Yasha slouched in and dropped to the floor across the table from Sesshoumaru, waving a servant with a laden tray over and digging into his breakfast.

The elder _inuyoukai_ lifted an eyebrow. "If this is how you behaved in the morning for your mate, I'm shocked she didn't run screaming after a month."

The _hanyou_ swallowed. "What do you care?"

"I don't care to see my children pick up similar disgusting habits. If it is your intention to be included here, you will modify your behavior appropriately."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "Where are they, anyway? I saw them for maybe five minutes yesterday, before Kagome had them whisked away for lunch. And then it was all 'lessons' and 'training' and other crap-excuses."

"That was at my direction," Sesshoumaru informed him. "I have no intention of giving you unfettered access to my children until you and I come to an understanding. I cannot bar you from residence here; it is your birthplace and not mine. But you are not taking over my lands or titles."

"That's not what I want," Inu-Yasha protested.

"And what do you want?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

"An heir."

Sesshoumaru glared at him for a long moment. "Then go find yourself another female and mate. Do not trouble Kagome and I with your foolishness."

"I don't want a child from just any female. I want-"

"NO!" Sesshoumaru was on his feet, hand on Toukijin's hilt, eyes bleeding red, _youki_ crackling around him. "You will NOT!"

Inu-Yasha jumped to his feet as well, Tetsusaiga half-drawn, eyes crimson. "It's my RIGHT! She was mine, and you STOLE her!"

There was a strange sound, like a spring bouncing across the _tatami_ mats. A tiny figure bounced from the floor to the table, then onto Inu-Yasha's shoulder. "My Lords, stop this, I beg you. Do not profane your father's home with bloodshed."

Sesshoumaru saw the small demon and sneered. "And where have you been, _Nomi_?"

"I am your brother's retainer, Lord Sesshoumaru. Of course, I have been serving him in what ever way seems best," Myouga answered.

Sesshoumaru let go of his sword and his swirling _youki_, regaining his usual cold expression. "You were to guard my father's tomb, last I knew. Though I would not be surprised to know you ran to hide when you learned I was searching for it." His amber eyes narrowed as he regarded the flea. "Have you been encouraging this nonsense?"

"Brothers' Rights are not nonsense, Lord Sesshoumaru. _Youkai_ law is not nonsense. Lady Kikyou's death has made Inu-Yasha-sama aware of what he gave up when the young lord was made your heir," the old flea said deferentially.

"Inu-Yasha lost all rights to Sesshouinu when he disgraced Kagome." He glared at his half-brother. "Any demon who can't tell a rotting corpse from a living, breathing female deserves what he gets."

"I can go to the Council," Inu-Yasha warned, sheathing his sword, folding his arms and reigning in his own _youki_. "I can petition them to force Kagome into giving me an heir."

"Lord Inu-Yasha," Miyouga said quickly as Sesshoumaru's _youki_ flared again, "it is not wise to suggest that force would be considered. Aside from the unforgivable nature of the act, Kagome-sama is a powerful miko, and has access to Lord Sesshoumaru's _youki_ as well. Were you to approach her in an unfriendly manner, she could very easily injure you quite seriously."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You make sense for perhaps the first time in this conversation, _Jijii_. But Kagome would only have to mop up whatever would be left when I finished. Go to the Council of _Youkai_ if you wish, Inu-Yasha. I do not think you will find what you are looking for." He turned in a swirl of silks and stalked toward the door. He paused just short of leaving but didn't look back. "Do not even consider bringing this to Kagome's attention. I will speak with her, when _I_ consider it necessary." He swept out, slamming the _fusama_ behind him.

Myouga's voice carried through the still room. "I think, My Lord, you could have done that better."

"Keh."

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The garden was serene, Kagome holding court over the remnants of breakfast, the children seated with her in the pavilion at the center of a grassy lawn. Sesshoumaru was loathe to interrupt their collective innocence and happy chatter, but he didn't trust Inu-Yasha to refrain from speaking to Kagome at the first opportunity, in spite of his explicit directions otherwise. Truth be told, there was little he could do now to curb his _hanyou_ brother. The castle, built to house the succession of Inutaishou's weak human females, may have been Sesshoumaru seat of power, but it was Inu-Yasha's birthplace, and the Lord of the Western Lands could no more evict him than he could his own children. He could make his younger brother's life hell here, until the brat broke and ran again, but he could not refuse him entry. Kagome's innocent demand years ago that Inu-Yasha leave had only worked because then, the _hanyou_ couldn't bear to hurt her. Now, however, now Sesshoumaru was no longer certain that was the case.

He crossed the lawn in broad steps, pausing just outside the structure. Before he could speak, Kagome's hand was reaching out to still Himeko's happy chirping, turning everyone's attention to the _Taiyoukai_. The children jumped up and bowed respectfully as one.

"_Ohayo gozaimasu, Otou-sama._"

"_Ohayo_, _kodomotachi_. Kagome, come with me."

She rose gracefully from the head of the table. "Of course. Maiko-chan, have breakfast cleared away and begin the morning lessons. Sesshouinu, help her, please."

"_Sumimasen_, _Okaa-sama._ I have training-"

"You can hardly train with your father when I am speaking to him. I'm sure he will send for you when we are through." She glanced over to Sesshoumaru.

"Do as your mother asks, _sotsu_. When we have concluded our conversation, I will collect you myself." He reached over and grasped Kagome's elbow gently. "Now, Mate." !--if !supportEmptyParas--  
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Kagome followed in apparent obedience as he swept across the lawn and crossed the small bridge over the creek leading them into the orchard. The fallen leaves from the bare branches overhead rustled under Kagome's train, though Sesshoumaru's steps were silent.

"I know what Inu-Yasha wants," he said quietly, face turned from her, body closed off.

"Oh? I got the impression he just wanted to come home."

Sesshoumaru snorted, a sound remarkably similar to Inu-Yasha's own favored expression. "Nothing in life is so simple. No. He has other interests, as well."

Kagome repressed an irritated sigh. Clearly, Sesshoumaru didn't want to discuss the subject, but felt he had no choice. Which meant she had to drag it out of him bit by bit until he could drop the bombshell. "What's on his mind?"

"You."

Unable to see even his minimal expressions, Kagome could only shrug herself. "Tough. That train left the station long ago."

"I do not believe he cares. Moreover, it may not matter."

Fed up with staring at his hair, Kagome marched around to face him. "And exactly what does that mean?" The side of her face tingled, and she smacked a palm against it absently, feeling something flattened in her hand. Looking down at it, she frowned. "Myouga-_jiichan_? When did you get here?"

The flea popped himself back to his normal shape. "A thousand greetings, Lady Kagome. I am pleased to see you in such good health and spirits after so along an association with-"

The tiny _youkai_ was cut off mid-ramble as Sesshoumaru's gleaming claws plucked him from Kagome's hand. "Inu-Yasha was not invited to this conversation for a reason, Old Man. You may assume the same of yourself as well." He flicked the flea away with a look of disdain. "Stay away, for the sake of your own health."

Kagome watched him bounce away. "Inu-Yasha must be desperate for information if he's sending Myouga-_jiichan_ after us."

"Desperate might indeed be the correct term." The corner of his lip twitched, but Kagome didn't think it was in amusement. "It is more something Inu-Yasha desires from you, rather than you, precisely."

She looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "And exactly what does Inu-Yasha want, to come all this way?"

He stared back down at her. "Your child."

Kagome blinked. "What?!"

"I thought I was plain enough. Inu-Yasha desires to sire a child on you," Sesshoumaru said coldly.

She sucked in a deep breath. "Has it escaped his attention that not only I have done so once, but that it came out rather badly as far as our relationship was concerned, not to mention the fact that I am _your_ mate?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "By giving Sesshouinu to me, you have cut off Inu-Yasha's ability to claim him as child or heir. As for the other, there is precedent in youkai law to allow for a female to bear the child of her mate's brother. Or for a male to sire an heir on his mate's sister, for that matter. Though in particular, it is the right of the elder brother to take a younger brother's mate when his own has failed to produce issue."

"Issue," Kagome repeated. "So is he doing this because I'm your mate, or because Kikyou called me sister?"

"I do not know," Sesshoumaru replied, "nor do I care, or think it matters. He intends to petition the Council for permission, should he be refused here."

Kagome swallowed her rising bile. "So what are our options? Will the Council grant his petition?" She couldn't even conceive of granting the request herself. Not for the moment, at least.

"They might," Sesshoumaru allowed. "Certainly, anything is possible. The _Kita_ in particular would take any opportunity to see me humbled. Their repeated petitions to see Taishomaru designated heir over Sesshouinu have all been denied. They are spoiling for a victory."

Kagome sighed. "They want control of the West, don't they? Sesshouinu is too much like your father for their taste."

"And not strongly of their blood. It is common knowledge that I did not sire him. Normally, it would not be an issue. But they are determined."

She sighed again. The _Kita_ would never have so much as a toehold on the West, and they knew it. So Sesshoumaru was right. They would take their opportunity to humiliate him where and when they could. "What would you think if I were to agree?"

He turned away sharply. "It is not a decision that this Sesshoumaru can make-"

Anger flared and she grabbed him, yanking him around to face her and using his own energy against him. "Don't you dare give me that '_kono_ Sesshoumaru' crap! This is about you and me. Don't cheapen it by stepping outside yourself and acting like it doesn't affect you! Do you want me to do this? To let him put his hands on me, his mouth, his-"

She was cut off this time as he yanked her forward and crashed his mouth over hers, stilling her unthinkable words. "You are _mine_." he hissed, breaking free at last. "Nothing _anyone_ does will ever change that. Wallow in a sty with _swine_, and you will still be mine."

She panted heavily, eyes filling with tears. "If I do this, I don't want you to look at me and be disgusted. We have a lot of time left together, and I don't want you to hate me for all of it, or even part of it."

He pulled her close, gently this time, tucking her against his body, his chin resting on top of her head. "Nothing will make me hate or despise you. Do whatever is necessary, and inform me if I can help."

"I wouldn't want you there," she said quietly after a moment. "I couldn't bear that. I'd be ashamed enough as it is."

"Do not be ashamed. This is a gift you are talking about. Truly, you are more generous of spirit than I could ever imagine."

She chuckled softly. "You just wish I was less generous of body."

"I will manage. This is not forever, after all."

Kagome leaned against him, letting their shared _youki_ flow like a river between them. "Hnn. Are there limits we can set on this, conditions of some kind, or does he just have me until he gets what he wants?"

His grip tightened on her, and she worked to exert calm over their bond. "There can be conditions," he said as his tension eased. "What limits would you have placed?"

Her mind swirled. It was all too much, that Inu-Yasha wanted this arrangement, that he had a right to it even, that he would think to use her in this way. "I don't know. I don't even know what's possible. I want it to be over and done with as quickly as possible. I want to be with him as little as possible." The calm she had sent out reflected back to her now. "You do it," she said tiredly. "I'll be bound by whatever you think is best. If I try to think about it, I'll be too generous."

His inquisitive silence begged her to continue.

"It's not that I feel the same for him anymore. Gods know right now I hardly feel anything beyond blinding anger. But I know him, and I know myself. We'll get to talking, and I'll start to feel sorry for him. I'll start to feel like it's somehow my fault, that Kikyou's weakness is something I could have prevented or changed. I'll remind myself that if things had been right 60 years ago, she would have had a whole houseful of his children, and who am I to deny him one now? I'll remember that our emotions were running too high when I killed Kikyou and ran away. And your brother, my Mate, will use every bit of that guilt to his advantage." She sighed and closed her eyes, inhaling Sesshoumaru's comforting scent. "No. It's better if I'm not involved in the negotiations at all."

"I am more than willing to do this for you. Moreover, it would not be appropriate for you to conduct any discussions."

"Well, good. Don't tell him I've agreed, either. I want to hear from him why he thinks I'd even think about something like this." She sighed deeply, trying to curl further into his embrace. "It feels so damned disloyal just talking about it, even knowing you don't disapprove."

"I have not said I do not disapprove. However, it is not you I am displeased with." He tilted her chin up until she was staring into his golden eyes. "I am never displeased with you." He leaned in slowly and kissed her, reminding her why she could never bring herself to leave.

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

Inu-Yasha could just make out the couple embracing in the shadows of the orchard. Something deep inside was screaming at him to turn away, but he forced himself to remain still and watch, confronting himself again with the reality of his brother and Kikyou's future self wrapped around each other. Kagome could whine all she wanted about being someone else, a person separate from Kikyou, but who else could have brought Kikyou back to life but her own self, brought back to him to correct the hideous errors of the past?

Myouga's tell-tale bounce broke into his thoughts, and he remained still for once as the old youkai hopped up onto his face and helped himself to a drink of his master's blood.

"Well, Old Man? How is she?"

"Lady Kagome is in perfect health, as far as I can tell, Lord Inu-Yasha," the flea replied. "Her scent is of course somewhat altered, given her reliance on Lord Sesshoumaru's _youki_, but it has not affected her health adversely at all. In fact, she may be even more healthy than before, less susceptible to human disease. Certainly, she does not appear to have aged much if at all since becoming your brother's mate. And of course, her overall mood is quite good, considering the current-"

"I knew all that already, you idiot. I need to know if she's pregnant right now or not. Taishomaru's old enough that they might be planning on having another pup soon." His eyes shifted to follow the youngest of his brother's brood as he ran out onto the sunlit grass, Sesshouinu following close behind and tackling him gently, then picking him up and carrying the youngster back to the pavilion. He wondered for the ten thousandth time if Kikyou's pups would have been so strong, so quick, so happy. But his Kikyou had been fated never to know the joy that seemed drawn to Kagome's life. And all he really wanted was a piece of it for himself.

"I was unable to sample enough of Lady Kagome's blood to tell, my lord. But it was evident that she and Lord Sesshoumaru mated last night when he returned. If she is not pupped, I cannot imagine it will be long before she is. It seems very unlikely that they would stop at three."

"Two," Inu-Yasha corrected firmly. "I may not be raising him, but Inu-chan's my blood."

"True, my lord, but he is full-_youkai_, thanks to Lady Kagome's magic, and acknowledged as your brother's heir. You can count on the Council never to change that. Much as the _Kita_ may regard Lord Sesshoumaru as a traitor and desire Lord Taishomaru as his heir, no one would dare suggest removing Lord Sesshouinu from your brother's care. No, Lord Inu-Yasha, Lord Sesshouinu is as much Lord Sesshoumaru's as Lady Himeko and the little lord. Nothing will change that."

"Feh." Inu-Yasha shifted her gaze back to the orchard. "So how do I get Kagome to agree?"

"You must remind her how much she cared for you, Lord Inu-Yasha. Make her see that you are still the same person she fell in love with, that you wish to return to a time before things went so horribly wrong," Myouga counseled.

"Doesn't seem right, somehow. Damnit, Kikyou, why'd you have to die? All I ever wanted was to be with you." He watched the couple, still huddled together under the trees. "Doesn't look like they plan to agree." He turned abruptly and walked back into the house.

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- 

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

Kagome knelt on a comfortable cushion under the pavilion, greatly appreciating the weather's cooperation as the children took an afternoon play break. She cast a quick glance up at the sky and frowned. _Snow tomorrow,_ she thought, watching the scuttling clouds roll by, born on a stiffening breeze. _I'll have to keep the children inside again. Gods, how they hate being confined inside._

The deliberate crunch of grass underfoot pulled her from her thoughts, and she twitched her nose a bit, identifying her visitor. Sesshoumaru would never make so much vulgar noise, and Sesshouinu not so little. The two youngest were running circles around their nursemaid in careless abandon, and with Rin away for a few more days, that left two possibilities; a servant, or Inu-Yasha.

"I guess he told you."

Her eyes slid a bit to the left to see Inu-Yasha lean casually against one of the pavilion uprights. She toyed with the idea of playing completely ignorant, of making Inu-Yasha dance around the subject like a puppet on a string. But it was no where in her to be quite that cruel. It didn't mean she couldn't pretend a little, however.

"Hmm? What do you mean, Inu-Yasha?" She offered him one of her dazzling smiles.

"Sesshoumaru. You did talk to Sesshoumaru this morning, right?"

She tilted her head. "Of course I did. Why?"

"What did you talk about?"

She turned her head away and looked down. "Really, Inu-Yasha. Asking me about pillow talk with my mate. What are you thinking?"

He had the grace to look flustered. "No. Not then. I meant later. After breakfast. I saw you two walking in the orchard."

"What does it matter?" she asked, voice turning a touch icy.

She heard his teeth grind. "I talked to Sesshoumaru about something at breakfast myself. I need to know if he discussed it with you or not."

"We talked about the children," she said, the absolute truth. "We talked about the _Kita_. They've been maneuvering the last few months to change the line of succession, without any success."

"Just political stuff, then? Nothing important?"

"Politics _are_ important. What are you fishing for, Inu-Yasha? Trying to figure out if he said anything about your disgusting intentions toward me?" She raised her voice until the pitch was guaranteed to make his ears ring.

"You didn't think it was disgusting before," he shouted back. "It was as much your idea as mine, the way I remember."

"'Before' being the operative word, Inu-Yasha." She rose gracefully. "'Before' I woke up and saw you going to hell with Kikyou, 'before' you said you would kill me when you saw me again, 'before' I became your brother's mate. Everything changes, Inu-Yasha, do you remember telling me that? Well, I changed, too. My feelings changed. I'm not the Kagome you knew then, and you're not the Inu-Yasha I loved once. All of that is long over."

He glared at her. "So you're saying you won't do it?"

She stared back at him, unsure of exactly what to say. She knew already she would. It was just a matter of coming to terms with it. "What made you think I would?"

"I dunno." He snorted. "Guess I thought you gave a damn."

"I do, Inu-Yasha. But the way you're trying to do this, it's wrong. You're hardly old. If you're so interested in children, then go meet some nice girl and get married. There's no real rush, is there?"

"There are only two women I ever thought of having pups with, Kagome; you and Kikyou."

"And Kikyou's dead."

He flinched, but nodded. "Exactly."

Kagome drew a breath to retort, but blew it all out when a solid form of half-grown boy crashed into her. "_Hahaue_!"

She hugged her eldest happily. At 12, Sesshouinu was just beginning to outstrip her in height, his pure demon blood showing in the lean wiriness of his body. "_Konnichi wa_, Inu-chan. How was training?"

"Good. You should see what I did. Oi, Inu-_jisan_!"

"_Oi_, pup. What's your Old Man got you doing now?"

"Watch this!" He stepped out into the open lawn, well clear of the other children. The air around him began to shimmer, and his silver-white hair whipped out. His form bent and shifted, until a pure white dog the size of a horse with a curled tail and triangular ears stood on the lawn. He woofed happily at them then loped over to play with the other children.

"He can do that?" Inu-Yasha asked, amazement clear in his voice.

Kagome was about to reply that she was equally surprised when Sesshoumaru strode up to them.

"Of course. He is pure _youkai_." His golden eyes narrowed as he regarded the romping puppy. "However, I did not teach him that only to have him use it as a party trick. Sesshouinu!"

The giant Akita bounded across the grass, crouching low to let his siblings slide off safely. Then the dog shimmered back into the form of a boy, bowing at his father's feet.

"The change of form is not for fun and games. It is a skill for use in battle, not playing mindlessly."

"_Gomen nasai, Otou-sama. Sumimasen_."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. You are excused until supper."

"_Arigato, Otou-sama._" He rose to sit on his heels and looked to Kagome. "May I go play with the others, _Okaa-sama?_"

Kagome smiled and waved a hand. "Go. Keep an eye on them. And keep your brother out of the fish-pond!" she called as he jumped to his feet and raced back to the other children.

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

Inu-Yasha watched through a green haze of jealousy as his pup quickly organized the two younger children into some never-ending variant of hide and seek, making them fine-tune their senses as they romped. Sesshoumaru could bark until the end of time about the boy's pure _youkai_ blood, but he could see very plainly that Sesshouinu had a large dose of his mother's kind spirit. Inu-Yasha wondered for a moment if the boy would ever be hard enough to rule the Western Lands, but then, Kagome could and would be hard as diamond when protecting what was hers.

He watched as the youngest tripped over his own slightly uncoordinated feet, saw Kagome start to move to pick the baby up, only to be held back by Sesshoumaru as Sesshouinu swooped in to scoop his little half-brother up and set him back on his feet. How many times had Sesshoumaru done the same, he wondered. Managed to come in just as Inu-Yasha needed a hand he didn't want to admit to? With any luck, these two would never be turned on each other.

"I hope you both know how fucking lucky you are," he growled as Himeko threw herself onto her big brother's back with a shriek of laughter. "When someone has all the luck in the world, they damn well should appreciate it." He turned on his heel and strode back into the house.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru. "You didn't tell him yet."

"No."

"Hmmm."

"Indeed." On reflection, Sesshoumaru decided much later, it would perhaps have been better to simply sit down quietly once Kagome had indicated her willingness to humor Inu-Yasha and pound out the niggling details of the agreement. But flexibility was not a trait shared by either of Inutaishou's sons, and when Inu-Yasha chose to make himself scarce for several days after the harsh words he'd spewed in the garden, Sesshoumaru had simply accepted the minor miracle for what it appeared to be, and asked no questions. Inu-Yasha still prowled the castle and surrounding property restlessly like the _mononoke_ the _kitsune_ cub had once accused him of being, avoiding the regular inhabitants. Sesshoumaru felt freed to resume his usual activities, taking meals with his mate and children, training his heir, and dealing with the achingly dull paperwork that came with having a large section of the island under his benevolent paw. Certainly, _he_ saw his rule as benevolent. He didn't wander the countryside randomly decimating villages, he had no use for human females offered him as tribute and returned them to their families unharmed. Really, he would think Kagome's influence was making him seem quite weak, except the rare humans he was forced to deal with still cowered mindlessly, and his mate's own considerable talents made it clear to any _youkai_ that the male who could control her could _never_ be weak. And they were a foolish bunch for the most part, assuming force would be required to cow a spirit like hers. It was much easier, and more pleasurable for everyone concerned, if she obeyed him out of desire rather than fear. In private, Kagome would show her temper as it pleased her, but when facing other _youkai_ in public, she was demure and obedient, the ideal image of a powerful lord's mate. Until challenged, of course. Given leave to defend herself and the children, she could and had called down purifying hellfire that licked at the fur of nearby tormentors and made them think several times over about threatening anything of hers.

So perhaps it would have been easier for all if he had simply swallowed a bit of pride, no matter how badly it would have gone down, and worked out the details privately. Unfortunately, it was now much too late for that.

Sesshoumaru turned the packet, wrapped in oiled silk and sealed with the Council crest over and over in his hands. He was reluctant to open it, not afraid, he told himself. Fear was for what could not be controlled, and everything, _everything_, was subject to some kind of mastery. There was only the matter of finding where the strings were pulled and seizing them for one's self. But he had no desire to see the words written. Set down on paper, they might as well have been carved in stone, immutable, and making a hash of the delicate art of negotiation. He cracked the seals and let the silk fall open, revealing the folded and sealed massages within. Setting aside the one marked with Inu-Yasha's name, he opened his own and settled back to read it.

It was not as bad as it could have been, certainly. He was invited by special directive to attend the next series of Council meetings, where Inu-Yasha would be permitted to make his case, and Sesshoumaru to agree or refuse. The Council would then hear from what they were terming 'other interested parties' then make some kind of determination. It ruffled his fur that the Council would presume to tell him what to do with his mate, but in all truth, the answer could have been much worse. Had Inu-Yasha been _youkai_ rather than _hanyou_, they would almost certainly have ordered Kagome into Inu-Yasha keeping until she was breeding. And that was completely unacceptable.

The hiss of the _fusama_ opening caught his attention, and he looked up to see Kagome standing in the doorway.

"Hana-chan said there was a messenger."

He nodded toward the cushion across the table from where he sat, and she entered, closing the door and taking the place he indicated. "It's not from Sango, is it?" she asked, toying with the edges of her sleeves.

"We are not that fortunate. The Council has responded to Inu-Yasha's request," he said, tossing down the parchment in front of her.

She scanned through it, eyebrows lifting at certain points. "They're making awfully free with your property, aren't they?"

He shrugged. "There are laws, and they must be upheld. Otherwise, chaos and bloodshed would rule."

"You're pretty good at both of those," Kagome suggested.

His smile was a frightening thing. "Yes. I am." He handed her the still sealed parchment bearing Inu-Yasha's name. "He should have that."

She looked down at it. "You know he's not speaking to me either, right?"

"He is also not likely to draw his sword on you. He still needs you alive to complete this insane quest, after all."

Kagome shivered. "Charming thought."

"Indeed. Tell him you have agreed, if you wish. It does not change the necessity of this journey. He may speak to me whenever he chooses about the... particulars." He picked up his copy of the summons and refolded it. "Ask Hana to pack. Everything must be formal. A show of strength at this point would not be amiss, either."

Kagome nodded, tucking the other parchment into her wide sleeve. "And the children?"

"Sesshouinu must go. As heir, he is affected. The others should stay here. I will not willingly take them should this prove a trap."

Kagome frowned as she stood. "A trap? Where are we going?"

"The Council rotates meeting places. You know this." She nodded. The Council would come to the West the following year for 8 weeks to conduct just this kind of business. "They are near Sapporo this year."

"Hokkaido," she said quietly.

"Yes. Hokkaido, and the _Kita_."

"And your mother?"

"Yes. Tettsume-sama will be present. You can plan on that."

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

It was all very well for Sesshoumaru to say 'give this to Inu-Yasha,' Kagome reflected. It was another thing entirely for her to find the sullen _hanyou_ in the labyrinth of corridors that made up the castle, even with her improved senses. When Inu-Yasha didn't want to be found, he was as elusive as the air. Finally, she simply staked out a hall near his room and waited. He knew she was there. When he wanted to know badly enough what she was doing, he would come to her.

She wasn't waiting long. "What do you want?" he demanded, rounding a corner. He'd been shuffling his feet on the other side for a few minutes, perhaps giving her a chance to break and run.

Thirteen years facing off against his brother had steeled her spine. "You're the one who wants something, aren't you? Kind of hard to get it if you're constantly ducking me."

"You're no good at teasing, Kagome. There has to be some chance of getting what you're talking about for it to work." He folded his hands into his sleeves and stared down at her. "Does my sainted brother know you're here?"

"Of course." She slid the parchment out of her own sleeve, holding it out. "The Council granted you a hearing. You can state your case, try to convince them of your point."

He opened the latter and skimmed through it. "Hokkaido, huh? You might get your precious way anyway. That bitch Tettsume hates me. She might kill me the instant I set foot there just for kicks. Not like she hasn't tried before."

"You don't know what my way is anymore, Inu-Yasha." Kagome shook her head sadly. "So damn impatient. Yes, Sesshoumaru and I talked about your request the morning after you arrived. There's more to consider here than whether or not I'm willing to sleep with you again. You're asking for a piece of my life back. You're asking me to bring a child into this world with parents that have never been able to truly get along. And there are things coming that scare me, Inu-Yasha. The wars are only going to get worse before they get better. I know human politics don't particularly interest _youkai_, but I don't want to see any of my children caught in the crossfire. No one ever asks to be involved in this stuff, but sometimes it shows up on your doorstep and there's nothing you can do to stop it." She felt the tears start to form in her eyes and stepped back before he could reach out to brush them away. "Talk to Sesshoumaru. I've already agreed to be bound by whatever he considers acceptable. We have to present a united front to the Council, whatever they think the situation is. The _Kita_ want a piece of the West, so they'll try anything. And they'll get it over my dead body."

Inu-Yasha blinked, staring at her. "I didn't know you cared that much."

"You didn't really know me at all, Inu-Yasha. That's the whole problem."

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

The _fusama_ rattled open for the second time in an hour, leading Sesshoumaru to believe that perhaps he should seek a solitary place of contemplation somewhere else. Certainly this one was become too much of a crossroads of activity.

His half-brother stood glowering in the doorway. "Kagome said you agreed," he said without preamble.

"So you have yet to vanish from the castle after all. I was beginning to wonder." Sesshoumaru gestured to a cushion. "You may as well come in. I do not care to have this discussion with the entire household listening."

The _fusama_ slammed shut and Inu-Yasha stalked in. "You could have fucking told me you were going to agree. I wouldn't have written to the Council if-"

"If you got your way?" Sesshoumaru interrupted smoothly. "You are so damned impatient, Inu-Yasha. That has always been your greatest weakness."

The _hanyou_ looked away. "Kagome said the same thing."

"Kagome is correct. Yes, I have agreed, provisionally. Certain details must be worked out first. I am not simply going to turn you loose on my mate without a number of agreements. Kagome has certain concerns, as do I. When those have been addressed, we can move forward."

Inu-Yasha leaned back a little, and Sesshoumaru could sense his agitation calming. "Go ahead," the _hanyou_ said. "I'm listening."

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

The hot water in the _furo_ lapped at Kagome's chin as she soaked the tension out of her shoulders. The whole situation with Inu-Yasha had spoiled her mood for days, and compounded with the turn in the weather keeping the children penned inside, had frayed her nerves down to the thinnest of threads.

She felt a puff of cold air on her face as the door opened, but didn't open her eyes. "_Dare desu ka?_"

"Sesshoumaru," he replied as his _youki_ washed over her, making her smile. "Were you sleeping?"

"Nope. Not sleeping. Not thinking. Not anything. Very nice."

"Shall I leave you to your nothing, then?"

She could already hear the slide of silk against skin. "No. You should join me." There was a scrubbing sound, and the splash of rinse water being poured over something, then the waves tickling her chin grew agitated as something moved into the tub. A pair of very familiar hands lifted and moved her, and she found herself settled in Sesshoumaru's embrace, her back pressed to his chest and his chin tucked into her shoulder. She let her own head fall back and turned to rub her nose into a particularly sensitive spot behind his ear. The arms around her waist tightened briefly, then he tilted his head away.

"Do not," he said quietly, pulling her away a bit.

"Why?"

"Inu-Yasha and I settled on terms. The Old Flea will be permitted to sample your blood in the morning, to assure that you are not breeding now."

"I'm not," she said decisively.

"The flea will settle the issue definitively," Sesshoumaru continued calmly. "Then, when the timing is auspicious, Inu-Yasha will have his...opportunity."

"When?" she asked with a sigh.

"Your first heat after we return from Hokkaido. With any luck at all, the visit will be a short one. Certainly, we have no other business there."

She could hear the flatness in his voice that spoke of monumental control. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked, shifting to look at him.

"I have agreed not to... indulge my own desires until the matter is settled."

Kagome stiffened. "I don't like the sound of that at all."

"Nor did I. But it was a perfectly reasonable request, and I was able to use it ensure that you will only have to accept Inu-Yasha's advances on one night, rather than several. The trade is equitable," he assured her.

"Not to me, it isn't. I didn't want you… inconvenienced by this arrangement." She sighed. "It's not working out like I wanted."

"There is very little choice now, Mate. The Council could and would do much worse."

She let herself lean back into him. "What would they do?"

"If you refused? Scorch the earth, destroy this place, kill the children and myself. I only pray they would kill you outright rather than throwing you to the rabble for their use." His _youki_ crackled around them and she pushed at it, trying to exert a certain amount of calm.

Kagome swallowed hard. "I can do it. Whatever I have to do, I'll do it. But I'm going to hate Inu-Yasha for a long time over this."

"Then we are in agreement. I may never forgive him."

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

!--if !supportEmptyParas-- !--endif-- 

Hokkaido in the grip of winter was cold, much more so than the castle near Saigoku, and Kagome was shivering as she slid from Aa-Un's back into Sesshoumaru's arms.

"Cold?" he asked.

She only nodded, pressing herself closer to his warm embrace.

Sesshoumaru snapped in Jaken's direction, and the toad-demon hastened to rifle a pack and bring its contents to the _taiyoukai_. Sesshoumaru released Kagome, shaking out a set of heavy fur robes and draping the over her shoulders. She pulled them close around her, and the shivering abated.

"Better?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyeing her with concern. Any appearance that she was in poor health could be used against them.

"Yes, much. Thank you." She lifted her bow and quiver of arrows from the dragon-beast's broad back, keeping them close at hand. A full meeting of the _Youkai_ Council was no place to start anything, but she was more than willing to defend herself if necessary.

"Feh. Didn't bother to get any stronger, huh?" Inu-Yasha's mood had been even more foul since the negotiations had been concluded, certain that his brother had managed once again to get the better end of the deal.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Inu-Yasha, it's in your best interest to make sure I'm very healthy for the foreseeable future. It would be a tragedy if I were to get pregnant, then lose your child to some kind of illness."

"You wouldn't," he hissed.

Her eyes grew cold. "I'm so angry with you right now that I don't know what I'd do, so don't push it." She turned to Sesshoumaru, smile fixed in place. "I didn't recognize this many youkai when they came to Saigoku last."

"Many chose not to come when we last hosted," Sesshoumaru said calmly. He stood in front of her deliberately, Aa-Un at her back. With Inu-Yasha on one side and Sesshouinu on the other, he was at least momentarily convinced of her safety. "Should you feel threatened, cast your barrier. Do not wait to determine their intentions. I fear we have very few friends here. Sesshouinu, Inu-Yasha, come. Jaken, see to Aa-Un." Setting his jaw, he led the little party into the heart of the castle.

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!--if !supportEmptyParas-- 

They were several corridors deep in the massive structure when a voice rang out.

"Sesshoumaru!"

"_Kuso_," Inu-Yasha muttered. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"It was your choice, Little Brother, not mine," Sesshoumaru reminded him before turning to face the speaker who'd called him. "Mother. I see you are well."

Tall, thin, and pale, Tettsume's icy blue eyes looked down her upturned nose at Sesshoumaru's companions. "I don't like _ningen_, Sesshoumaru. Why are you bringing them into my home?"

Sesshoumaru golden eyes narrowed. "There are many, many places I would willingly take my mate before bringing her here, including Hell itself. And Inu-Yasha was specifically invited here by the Council. Take it up with them if you are disturbed."

"So rude, _aniki-sama_," a voice said from the other side. Sesshoumaru's head snapped around to see a dark-haired youkai approaching, gray silk fluttering gently. "And to our own mother, as well. The _ningen_ really have ruined you." His gaze swept consumingly over Kagome. "Though I begin to see the attraction. Perhaps we can compare notes later."

The situation was rapidly becoming untenable. "Kuroshinu. It is well outside your place to lecture me on manners." He shifted slightly, putting himself between Kagome and Tettsume while Inu-Yasha and Sesshouinu blocked Kuroshinu. _Kagome, can your barrier cover the four of us safely?_

_Hai, but it when it goes up, every youkai here will feel it._

_**That was my intention. Now, if you please.**_

Kagome closed her eyes, reaching in to pull forth a wave of purifying energy. She pushed it outward, deliberately ignoring the _youki_ from her own men and setting it over them in a dome of cold pink-white flame. It crackled and spat, tiny tongues reaching out to lick at the _youkai_ outside the barrier.

Tettsume sneered from one side, and Sesshoumaru could hear Kuroshinu growling on the other. But for the moment, they were safe, assuming Kagome could keep the barrier in place indefinitely.

Another figure moved beyond the barrier, and Sesshoumaru's gaze shifted.

"That's enough, Tsutsuji-chan. Call your son off before the miko brings the castle down on our heads."

Tettsume glared at the old _inuyoukai_ behind her, then gestured to Kuroshinu, and he stepped carefully around the barrier to join them.

"Your mate and son are safe now, Sesshoumaru," the old dog continued. "She may stop. Preferably before we are buried here."

He waited a moment, deliberately, then gave Kagome the shallowest of nods, and the barrier fell in a shower of sparkling dust. "_Ojii-sama_. Greetings."

"Tettsume, take your foolhardy son and go. I wish to speak with Sesshoumaru."

She glared at her father for a long moment, the swept away, the dark _inuyoukai_ following in her wake. They all watched until the pair vanished around a corner, then the elder dog shook his head slightly. "And to think that is what I have for an heir. You are beyond fortunate there, Grandson." His gaze turned to Kagome. "And you, Granddaughter? Are you well?"

Kagome smiled. "Well enough, Inutaijin-sama. Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for not toppling the castle. You could, you know." His gaze shifted to Inu-Yasha. "So this is the one making all the fuss, eh?"

"My father's younger son," Sesshoumaru said. "Inu-Yasha, this is _Kita no Tai-inuyoukai,_ Inutaijin-sama. My grandfather."

Inu-Yasha nodded, refraining from making a rude comment. "So who's the _kuro inu?_" he asked, hand easing from where it had been wrapped around the Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"Technically, your step-brother, pup. Come. I'll walk with you to your quarters. I'm sure you want to hear the story."

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"So he's only half-_inu_?" Kagome asked, pouring tea into delicate cups.

"Yes," Inutaijin said. "Tettsume chose to associate with a member of the _Kuro-Ryuu_ Clan after her return from the _Nishi_. Poor choice on her part, that time. She returned home in disgrace, again, with Kuroshinu, and proceeded to create chaos in my home."

"She is rather… abrasive," Sesshoumaru allowed.

"She's an out and out hell-raising bitch." Inutaijin declared. "Not that that's any great fault for an _inu_ female. But Tettsume takes it too far at times. Still, she has her supporters among the clan." His gaze shifted over to Sesshoumaru. "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

"Positive." Sesshoumaru shot a look to Kagome, and she nodded, setting the teapot aside and rising.

"Please excuse me, _Ojii-sama_, but the journey was quite fatiguing. Might I beg the use of your bathhouse?"

"Of course, Granddaughter. You know where it is?"

She offered him a charming smile. "I'll find it, I'm sure."

Sesshoumaru glanced at his son. "Sesshouinu, go with her. Jaken will bring you both fresh clothing."

"Hai, _Otou-sama_." He rose and bowed, then escorted Kagome out of the room.

"You deliberately sent him away," Inutaijin stated.

"Yes. He knows he is not my son by blood, but Kagome and I have not explained the circumstances surrounding his conception yet." Sesshoumaru heard Inu-Yasha shift impatiently and shot him a glance. "_You_ will continue to keep your peace on the subject if you are in any way wise."

"He should know," Inu-Yasha argued.

"He will," Sesshoumaru responded, "when _I_ think it is time."

"You'd better start thinking about it soon, _Ouson_. It will be the first suggestion the clan puts forward to solve your little difficulty," Inutaijin warned him.

"Inu-Yasha and I have already settled on terms. We are wasting the Council's time here," Sesshoumaru sniffed.

"The Council is best disposed to decide how to spend its time, and you know it," the elder _youkai_ snapped. Then he sighed. "You can't blame me for favoring my own blood, Sesshoumaru. You should do the same."

"Sesshouinu's blood is my father's blood, and therefore mine as well. I fail to see your point."

"You said it yourself, _aniue_. There's no more _Kita_ blood in the pup than _Oyaji_ and I have," Inu-Yasha smirked, jerking his chin at the walls around them. "They can't control him, and they hate that."

**"You're going to allow him to speak that way?" Inutaijin asked, eyes narrowed,**

Sesshoumaru gave a long-suffering sigh. "I gave up long ago trying to curb Inu-Yasha's tongue. Kagome has more patience for it than I."

"I'm sure that's true."

It was an ugly insinuation, and one neither brother cared for. "Look, Kagome's only willing to do this to spike your fucking wheel, _Jijii_, so shut your fucking mouth about her."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "You see why I gave up the exercise as futile. All the Council needs to know is that she will do what is required of her to provide Inu-Yasha an heir."

"For your sake, Sesshoumaru, I hope she does. Things could turn very ugly otherwise."

Sesshoumaru went still as a stone. "Explain."

"If she doesn't provide the _hanyou_ with an heir, others are bound to ask. You cannot un-ring the bell."

Inu-Yasha glared at his brother. "How many fucking brothers do you have?" he snapped.

"Two too many, at this rate," Sesshoumaru snapped back. "What do you mean, _Ojii-sama_?"

"I mean that I know Kuroshinu's temperament. If Inu-Yasha does not succeed, he will surely ask for a chance himself. He has no mate at this time, you know."

Sesshoumaru growled. "Kagome is not a tidbit to be passed from hand to hand for all to taste. If Sesshouinu were not Inu-Yasha's get already, I would not-"

"Now you see what I mean about un-ringing the bell. Kuroshinu could conceivably receive support for his petition because he is my current heir."

"Current heir," Sesshoumaru echoed. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning I have other grandchildren and great-grandchildren, though he is the eldest, yourself excluded. Your mother was supposed to have two pups, you know."

"She did, or are you breaking out new secrets?" Inu-Yasha sneered.

"Obstinate idiot. She was to bear Inutaisho two children, one to be his heir, and one to be mine. With some carefully arranged mating, the _Kita_ could have had a strong presence in every great _youkai_ house in Japan. But she couldn't abide his quirks." Inutaijin sighed. "Your father was as stubborn as the two of you combined."

"You mean his really bad habit of not killing every human who crossed his path," Inu-Yasha said snidely. "Oh, yeah. That's weird."

"You are trying this Sesshoumaru's patience, _Ojii-sama_. What are you trying to say?"

"You have a daughter, Sesshoumaru. I have a great-grandson a year younger than your heir. Agree to their mating, and I will arrange to make that pup my heir."

Sesshoumaru watched him coolly. "And will you offer a great-granddaughter for my heir as well, I suppose, and work the _Kita_ blood back into the _Nishi_ line?"

"If I thought you would accept her, yes. In an instant."

Sesshoumaru stood abruptly. "I must instruct Jaken. We will speak about this later." He bowed to Inutaijin and left the room.

Inu-Yasha was left with the _Kita no Tai-Inuyoukai_. "Well, pup. You are supposed to be his advisor. What will you advise?"

Inu-Yasha snorted. "To get as far from here as he can as fast as he can. But I'm not the one you have to worry about. He'll ask Kagome about the pups."

"And what will his mate say?"

Inu-Yasha smirked broadly. "Not even on a cold day in hell."

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Kagome blinked for a long moment after Sesshoumaru filled her in on the offer Inutaijin had made. "When hell freezes over," she said at last. "Wait, no, not even if hell froze over."

"The boy is not Tettsume's," Sesshoumaru assured her. "My mother has several nieces and nephews. He must be suggesting one of their pups."

"So we can sell Himeko to the _Kita_ in exchange for pissing off the current heir? It would be a disaster." She studied his face for a moment. "What else did he say?"

"He would offer one of his great-granddaughters for Sesshouinu, as well."

"So if they can't force their way into power in the West, they'll just breed their way there, is that it?" Kagome demanded.

"Essentially, yes." The whole discussion was beginning to annoy Sesshoumaru no end. "Nothing must be decided now. But keep the possibility in mind. Hell freezing over may happen sooner than you anticipate."

Kagome heard the chiding tone in his voice and backed down, keenly aware of the ears turned on them far from home. "I understand." She sighed. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"The Council's first suggestion regarding the issue of Inu-Yasha's heir, courtesy of the _Kita_, I might add, will be to turn Sesshouinu over to his custody."

Kagome chewed her lower lip apprehensively. "He won't understand why. I suppose they'll make it really clear when they suggest it, too."

"They will," Sesshoumaru agreed. "So it is probably best to explain the situation ahead of time."

Kagome pushed herself to her feet from where she knelt on the _tatami_. "All right, then. Let's get it over with."

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"_Oi_, pup."

The boy didn't move from his spot on the wall, staring out across the snowy garden. Inu-Yasha sighed in exasperation and trudged through the drifts, hopping up onto the stone structure then dropping down to sit next to the pup. The ice on the ledge under him melted, soaking the seat of his _hakama_, and he squirmed restlessly. "Aw, fuck!"

Next to him, Sesshouinu glanced at him and let out a barking laugh.

Inu-Yasha eyed him with concern. "What was that for?"

The pup shook his head. "Nothing, really. _Okaa-sama_ said something…"

"What?"

"Not important." Sesshouinu tuned his gaze back to the snowy garden. "So you and _Okaa-sama_, huh?"

Inu-Yasha blinked a moment, trying to adjust his mindset. "Yeah," he said at last. "It was a long time ago." Beside him the boy snorted, and Inu-Yasha nudged him with an elbow. "Shut up if you want to hear this. I'm guessing that's why you're out here and not in shouting at them."

"'S not their fault, So what happened?"

"Your mom's a funny kind of person, kiddo. She believes, or at least, she used to believe, in the deep down fundamental goodness of everyone. Once you have her trust, it takes a hell of a lot to break it. And when you really do break it, it breaks something in her at the same time."

"So you went and broke my mom? Thanks a lot, Inu-_jijii_."

"Watch your mouth, or your mother will do it for you, and you won't like it. I didn't set out to hurt her, even though it seems like that's all I could do. Anyway, we'd finished off Naraku less than a season before. Sango and Miroku had holed up with Shippou in the _taijiya_ village right after, and Kagome and I went after the rest of the shards. There couldn't have been more than a handful left at that point. It was a lot like the way it had been in the beginning; track down a shard, kill the demon, look for the next shard. None of the 'get revenge for the shit Naraku pulled' stuff. It was fun, almost. I didn't want it to end. And I kind of lost my head for a while. I thought it could really work. So one night, I kissed her. I don't know why, I just went for it. And she kissed me back."

"Heat."

Inu-Yasha turned to look into a pair of golden eyes that were all too knowing for the 12-year-old they occupied. "Why the hell do you know about that?"

Sesshouinu's expression was clearly inherited from the demon who raised him. "I'm not stupid, Inu-_jisan_. Or a pup. _Otou-sama_ explained mating a long time ago."

"And you didn't jump out of your fur the first time he brought it up?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"No. Just the first time I accidentally walked in on him and _Okaa-sama_." He shuddered slightly. "Ick."

Inu-Yasha had to agree with that sentiment. "Yeah. Okay. So you have a pretty good idea of what happened next, then, right?"

The boy looked at him, then his eyes went distant, and he shuddered harder, but nodded.

"Well, trust me when I say it was a good idea at the time. Except I'd forgotten about something. Kikyou was still wandering around with part of Kagome's soul and a grudge bigger than Ryuukossei. She was just staring at me when I woke up, like I was some piece of trash under her foot, but something she couldn't get rid of at the same time. And she had her damned bow pointed at us. So I got up, very carefully, and went to talk to her. She was about 12 shades of pissed, and wanted to kill us both, seeing as I'd defiled another miko and broken my word to her, at least in her eyes. She still had enough power then to purify me with a touch if she'd wanted to, so I made an effort not to make her angry. I told her, very stupidly, as it turned out, that I would go to Hell with her if she would leave Kagome in peace."

"Why didn't you just kill her?" Sesshouinu asked.

Inu-Yasha sighed. The boy had Sesshoumaru's mind-set, no doubt. "I'd promised her my life, a long time ago. That I would protect her, become human and live with her. She was the first person who was remotely kind to me after my mother died. I felt like I owed her. I would have killed anyone who tried to hurt her."

"And _Okaa-sama_ killed her," Sesshouinu concluded.

"See, you know some of this story already. Yeah. Kagome woke up and saw me betraying her with Kikyou, more or less. But then, Kikyou had seen me betraying _her_ with Kagome." Inu-Yasha sighed again. It was getting to be one of those kinds of days. "Don't ever fall in love with two women at the same time, kiddo. Especially if one is the reincarnation of the other. Nothing good comes of it."

"Nothing?"

Inu-Yasha looked at the pup, then grinned and ruffled his hair. "Okay. I was wrong. One good thing came of it. So anyway," he went on, picking up the tale again, "I said a whole bunch of things to your mother that she really didn't need to hear at that moment, none of which were true. And I left her at the absolute worst moment in her life. And somehow, Sesshoumaru found her."

"He was looking for you," Sesshouinu supplied. "And the Tetsusaiga."

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. "What else is new? He couldn't use the damn thing then, not to mention it's the only that that keeps me sane. Nice, huh?"

The boy was quiet for a long moment. "I'm gonna inherit the Tenseiga," he said at last. "So I'm not gonna want the Tetsusaiga. _Otou-sama_ says the prospect of the two Fangs in one hand is disturbing."

"Which means he's scared shitless of the possibilities. And he's right. They were just teeth the last time they were together. Tenseiga's older, anyway. You should have it."

"So what will you do with the Tetsusaiga?" Sesshouinu asked.

"That's what this is all about. I asked your mother for a very big favor, and she's going to grant it for me as soon as we get clear of the Council. But listen, 'cause this is the important part. No matter what the Council says, I'm not taking you from your parents, okay? It's not gonna happen."

The boy nodded solemnly, and Inu-Yasha relaxed just a little. Come what may with the Council, hopefully, the worst was over.

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It was just wrong, Kagome decided.

Certainly, she wasn't opposed to formal kimono when necessary, and wore her own black robe with embroidered _mon_ and a gold basket-weave embroidery near the bottom, another play on her name Sesshoumaru enjoyed. And she'd seen his formal wear more than once, though he almost never wore it.

But the image of her mate standing next to Inu-Yasha, both wearing identical black haori and full-legged _hakama_, rather than the variety that gathered at the ankles, was unsettling. They both stood with heads bowed slightly, arms folded, leaning back against the wall opposite her own position. And it seemed that Inu-Yasha had finally come into his full height, making him only an inch or two shorter than his brother. Sesshouinu stood on Sesshoumaru's other side, mimicking the pose of his father and uncle, though with slightly less-then-perfect results due to his restless nature and height that brought him only to Sesshoumaru's shoulder. She narrowed her eyes, trying to picture Taishomaru next to his brother, and another white-haired, dog-eared boy next to Inu-Yasha, a veritable army of _Nishi inuyoukai._ It wasn't that bad an image, and she allowed herself a slight smile.

_What amuses you so, Mate?_ Sesshoumaru's voice echoed in her mind.

_Just adding Taisho-chan and this pup Inu-Yasha wants to the picture._ She called the image to mind again and felt the echo of Sesshoumaru's wry amusement. _The West would be unbeatable._

_Implying we can be beaten now? There is no guarantee Inu-Yasha would leave his pup with us. Or that he would agree to take up his share of the defense._

_Well, __**my**__ pup will be raised with his or her siblings. So that should keep him pretty close. And since he'll have nothing better to do…_

_Devious. I approve. In theory, at least. Assuming we get through here in relative control of the situation._

The _fusama_ to Kagome's left slid open and she straightened, hearing the rustle of silks as the others did the same. A court functionary emerged from the inner chamber and bowed. "You are called, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He nodded, and reached out to take Kagome's elbow. "Come."

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Kagome never enjoyed this part. From the first time she had walked into a Council meeting, leading Sesshouinu, she had felt the hostility of the _youkai_ lords. That same hostility was still present, some of it dispelled by her more _youkai_ appearance now, but no where near all of it. And she only looked _youkai_. She could pull _youki_ from Sesshoumaru, but it only served to fuel her own miko powers. Purification was a serious threat to everyone in the room, but it certainly wasn't flashy, compared to poison whips and flying blood claws, not to mention demon swords with the power of life and death.

They stepped one by one into the main part of the room, and somewhere near the front, a herald called out their names as they approached.

"_Nishi no Tai-inuyoukai_ Sesshoumaru-sama… _Nishi no Miko-youkai_ Kagome-sama…_Nishi no Koushi-inuyoukai_ Sesshouinu-sama… _Nishi no Hanyou_ Inu-Yasha-sama."

The men were a wall of black kimono and silver hair between Kagome and the members of the Council on the dais, Sesshouinu to Sesshoumaru's left, Inu-Yasha to his right, the place he was born to take. Kagome knelt behind them, a tiny black and blue flower with silver tracery spelling out all where were dear to her on the _uchikaki_ Sesshoumaru had given her.

Inutaijin sat in the center of the platform, flanked by _taiyoukai_ of various breeds. "Well, Inu-Yasha, _hanyou_ son of Inutaisho. What is it you wish from the Council of Youkai?"

It was dangerous water they were treading now, and the approach had been worked out carefully.

"Forgive me, Inutaijin-sama," Inu-Yasha began, and Kagome could hear the edge in his voice. Eating crow only pleased him when he got to kill it first. "I wrote in haste. The matter has been resolved. There is no need for the Council to be involved."

A grizzled _kitsune_ from the South, Genkitsu, spoke up. "But we _are_ involved, now. More questions than answers have come up since you wrote. We will have those answers. What is it you seek, Inu-Yasha?"

She could hear Inu-Yasha's teeth grind. "My mate died childless, and I have no interest in taking another. But I have a legacy from my father to consider. I'm asking for Brothers' Rights, to sire an heir on my brother's mate."

"And she has whelped?" the Eastern Wolf-Lord, Yamainu, asked.

"Three times. All very healthy."

"That brings up another point," Inutaijin stated. "Kagome-sama's eldest pup is your get, is he not, Inu-Yasha?"

Sesshouinu flinched, and for one second, Kagome would gladly have gutted her mate's grandfather where he knelt.

"But I have adopted him," Sesshoumaru inserted smoothly. "And I will not relinquish my claim. His mother was my mate when he was born. He has never been claimed as Inu-Yasha's son."

"And Sesshoumaru and I have already come to terms," Inu-Yasha continued. "There's nothing for the Council to get involved in anymore."

"We are not a stick to be waved when you wish to make a threat, Inu-Yasha. You asked for our aid in this matter, and it will be given to you." The implication that it would be given whether he wanted it or not was clear.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has taken a powerful mate," Kuroshinu said from his position on one side of the dais. "A miko who can command _youki_. Perhaps if Inu-Yasha's request is to be granted, we should grant the same to others as well. Surely this wealth of power should be shared."

"You speak of my mate as though she were a breeding sow," Sesshoumaru hissed. "Each child is a risk to her life. Would you have me carve it out of your hide if she were harmed, _Otouto-san_?"

"Of course Sesshoumaru's mate should not be required to provide child after child for the great houses. There is no precedent for such an action, and it is unconscionable to hand her around to strangers like a plate of sweets." Inutaijin stirred, then resettled himself. "But our law says a brother may ask this favor. There is an agreement already in place, a process we cannot disrupt. However, Kuroshinu shares as much blood with Sesshoumaru as Inu-Yasha does. If the mating with Inu-Yasha should fail, I think it would be appropriate for the _miko_ to be asked to enter into an agreement to provide a child for the Heir to the _Kita_ clan. Is this agreed?"

There was much murmuring amongst the council members, and Kagome sat through it for several long minutes, glaring at Inutaijin. He stared back at her with icy eyes until the murmuring died down, then spoke. "Shall we vote?"

Kagome wanted to vomit. Outside the Council for this decision, Sesshoumaru was forced to abstain from both the discussion and the vote. Four members voted against the plan, and five for it.

At that moment, Kagome could have done without seeing any of them ever again.

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Kagome watched with distaste as Myouga's body, perched again on her exposed forearm, swelled with blood, and she squashed down yet another urge to smack him flat.

Finally, he rolled back, sated, and she pressed a thumb over the small wound.

"Well?" Inu-Yasha demanded from where he leaned against the wall.

"Kagome-sama has most delicious blood," the flea responded, still resting on her arm. Kagome glared at him a moment, then turned her wrist, dumping him to the ground.

"No one cares, _Nomi_," Sesshoumaru said from the far wall. Kagome glanced over to catch his eyes, then away before the look could say too much.

"There is no recent taste of Sesshoumaru-sama in Kagome-sama's blood, nor is she breeding at this time."

"No shit," she muttered, forcing herself to remain a reasonable distance from her mate. "I'm going into heat."

"You sure?" Inu-Yasha asked.

Kagome closed her eyes, pushing down the humming in her blood that was drawing her toward Sesshoumaru. "Very. You don't want to know what I'd do right now if it meant I could be with Sesshoumaru." She didn't look over to him. They were both too jumpy.

"Let's do this, then." Inu-Yasha reached out to take her wrist, only to have her pull away.

"Wait." She crossed the room, slowly, to Sesshoumaru, and carefully rested a hand on his cheek. "I love you," she said quietly.

His head dipped in acknowledgement. "I know." She back away a little, then Sesshoumaru's hand flashed out, catching the back of her neck and pulling her mouth to his in a searing kiss. They were both panting when he pulled her back enough to rest his forehead against hers, their eyes locked. "_Mine_."

She nodded. "Always." She slipped back, shivering at the touch of his fingers against the scars on her neck. "I'll be back soon."

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She trailed after Inu-Yasha as he nearly dragged her down the hall toward his room, the room that had been his mother's, that had been hers the first two years she lived here. He was leaning in to kiss her as soon as the _fusama_ closed, and she turned away sharply, so his lips landed close to her ear.

"Kagome…" he growled, frustrated.

"Stop it, Inu-Yasha," she demanded, stepping back and turning away. "I'm only doing this to help stabilize Sesshoumaru's position. I don't have many… fond feelings for you, so don't try to bring them out. Let's just get this over with."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "Wish it were that simple, bitch. I can't just throw you one the futon and ravish you. I just don't work that way." He stepped up behind her, pulling off her _uchikaki_ and laying it aside. "I know you're hurting…"

"It's not pain," she said, trying to ignore the similarities between his behavior and Sesshoumaru's, the delicacy with which they treated her. She was in no mood for delicate. "It's different, deeper. It's hard to explain."

"Your blood tingles in your veins," he said softly, unwinding her sash. "You'd do anything to stop the burning."

He sounded so much like Sesshoumaru when he spoke like that, and she let her head drop back against his shoulder. "How did you know?" she asked as the plum-blossom kimono slid from her shoulders.

"It's in your scent, your _ki_, the very air around you is full of it. I smell it, I feel it against my skin, sinking in until my bones itch to touch you."

"Why didn't you ever tell me any of this before?" she asked as he stepped back. She could hear the rustle of his fire-rat clothing as he shed it.

"Was that ever what you wanted to hear from me?" he asked, sliding his hands around her waist. "You were so hung up on being Kikyou or not being Kikyou. You were so worried that all I could see was her in you. You never stopped to ask if I saw you in her."

She stiffened in his grip at the name, the mood ruined. "I'm sure she appreciated the comparison as much as I do." Taking a deep breath, she untied the narrow sash holding her _yukata_ closed and slid it open under his hands, the touch of his skin on hers making her blood burn even as her mind tried to resist the urge to mate. "Just do it," she hissed out through gritted teeth.

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"Get off me."

"What did you just say, bitch?"

Kagome glared up at him, face flushed and beaded with sweat. "You heard me," she panted. "You got what you wanted. Now get off."

"You said his name."

"You should be grateful you even come close to comparing, Inu-Yasha. Your brother is an expert."

"You were calling his name. What the hell, were you just pretending he was here instead of me?"

Her body grew unbearably hot beneath him, and he scrambled back before her miko powers could burn him. Kagome stood, collecting her _yukata_ and slipping it on, securing the knot before looking over to him. "I did what I had to do to get through it, Inu-Yasha. What did you expect?" With that, she turned and left.

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Inu-Yasha wasn't quite sure what he was seeing at first. He'd followed Kagome here after she'd delivered that ringing blow to his pride and swept out of his room. Honestly, he'd expected her to return to the castle's main apartments, but that area was much further down the hall, closer to the children's rooms. Instead, she'd swept one of the _fusama_ open and slipped through it, slamming it shut behind her. Then there had been a soft cry, followed by some low murmuring he recognized as his brother's voice. The rustling of fabric had followed, then Sesshoumaru…growled? Inu-Yasha slipped closer to the door, one eye to the narrow crack where it had rebounded in its track from the force Kagome had used to close it.

Sesshoumaru was slumped in a chair against the far wall, head tilted back almost as if he was asleep, though there was too much tension in his form for that to be the case. One of his hands gripped the arm of the chair, claws biting into the polished wood surface, the other woven through a mass of something dark near his thigh.

_It's hair,_ he realized suddenly. _He's got his hand in Kagome's hair. But what's she doing…?_ It hit him then, what Kagome was doing, kneeling in front of Sesshoumaru, her head in his lap, the subtle movement, his brother's tense muscles and low-pitched growl. _She left me,_ he thought, _and came back here to do this… to him?_ His own throat started to vibrate, ready to growl out a challenge when Sesshoumaru's head shot up, crimson and gold eyes pinning Inu-Yasha in an instant.

_He's gonna lose it any second. _Abruptly, Sesshoumaru's head dropped back again, chair arm groaning under the assault of his claws. The hand in Kagome's hair tightened, and the motion shifted subtly. Then he could hear Sesshoumaru hiss, and a muffled gasp from Kagome, then the thick sound of heavy swallows. Closing his eyes, Inu-Yasha turned away. He should never have followed her, should never have seen this. Hell, he should never have come back here, probably, though it was too late to change his mind on that front. What he'd thought he wanted, what he'd thought was here, was long gone.

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She was still standing outside the door, Sesshoumaru noted, placing aside another page of official correspondence. He wondered as he broke the next seal, whether she planned to come in or stand in the corridor all night.

Finally, there was a faint tap at the door, as if she were unsure about disturbing him.

"Enter."

Kagome slid the _fusama_ open and came in, closing the door carefully and sliding the latch into place to secure it. Apparently, this was to be a very private conversation. No children or annoying servants permitted.

He watched her movements as she crossed the room to kneel on the other side of his table, hands modestly in her lap, head bent low. She'd been quiet the past two days, worse than the days leading up to the anniversary of her birth. She had withdrawn, not only from him, but from the children as well, leaving the lessons to be given by Rin and her mate Taigaku. And those responsibilities were falling more and more on the human as Rin's first pregnancy proved uncomfortable in the mornings. Sesshoumaru sighed to himself. Two breeding females in the house. Not a recipe for peace and quiet.

He waited for several minutes for her to initiate the conversation, then folded up the papers and put them aside.

"I should turn this nonsense over to Taigaku, and have him bring me only what absolutely must have my attention. He could certainly stand to do more work, and he came to us at a high enough cost."

"Rin's very happy with him," Kagome murmured, not looking up. "He's exactly what she wanted."

"Fortunate for him, or she would have found herself widowed quickly enough."

When Kagome didn't snap back at the veiled threat, he knew something was terribly wrong.

"Kagome? What troubles you, _koi?_"

She looked up, amber eyes full of dread. "I have a problem." With that dire statement, she let down the walls she'd been holding between them, and the inferno of her mind swept over him.

To Sesshoumaru's credit, he didn't flinch as the full force of his mate's heat ran though him, but it was a long minute before his voice would function above a growl, and there was no forcing the red tinge from everything he saw. "You are not breeding." He'd thought her brooding tied to the early, uncomfortable stages of pregnancy, but clearly, that was not the case.

She shook her head miserably. "I know what I should do. I know I can choose to go back to _his_ bed, or inform the Council and prepare myself to face Kuroshinu. But I don't want to. The whole time I was with _him_, all I could think about was you." She hadn't said Inu-Yasha's name since he had left early the morning before to clear an infestation of insect youkai from the southern reaches of the lands. A message could reach him in time to return before Kagome's cycle shifted, assuming it was sent quickly, and she was willing to try again.

"I know. You have a third option in mind, then." He knew what she was thinking. It wasn't even that bad an idea, all choices considered.

"A lifetime wish. To help me fulfill the agreement with Inu-Yasha. I can't face the other possibilities."

He could feel the misery rolling off her in waves. It had been nearly 48 hours since she had been with Inu-Yasha, and though she still cycled on a human schedule, the introduction of _youki_ made the sensations associated with her fertility that much more intense. His poor mate had been burning for his touch for two days, and had been controlling it masterfully. He couldn't have been more proud of her. "You hardly need to make a lifetime request out of a wish to mate, _koishii_. I am more than willing to oblige."

He could see she was forcing herself to remain still rather than flying across the table to tackle him. "The agreement says that the child will be hanyou."

"I am aware of that." Her delicate claws were digging in to the fabric of her kimono. He stood and stepped around the table to her side. "Come with me. _I_ have no intentions of ambushing you in my study."

Her hand was shaking when she put it in his. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Oh, it was a good idea," he growled, leading her to the door. "I have many just like it already in mind."

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The castle was dark when Inu-Yasha entered, and he moved toward the family wing, intending to check on Kagome, when a strange sound caught his ear, and he turned his attention to tracking it down and discovering its source.

He traced it to the great audience chamber, and pushed the door open to see Sesshoumaru seated casually on the floor, leaning back against the edge of the dais, drinking _sake_ straight from the flask and humming some low tune.

He rubbed his eyes, but the strange sight refused to resolve itself into something that made sense. "Sesshoumaru?" he called softly into the moon-lit room.

The _taiyoukai_ lifted his head and gazed coldly at the hanyou. "Ah. Little Brother. Have a drink, Little Brother." He scooped a corked flask from the floor and pitched it toward Inu-Yasha, who batted it out of the air before it could hit him in the face. It shattered on the ground, adding to the scent of _sake_.

"What are you doing here, drinking in the dark?" Inu-Yasha demanded. "What kind of way is this to protect Kagome?"

"Ah, yes. My mate. Congratulate me, Little Brother. This Sesshoumaru is going to be an uncle."

The words gripped Inu-Yasha's heart. Then it had worked, despite the cold, unfeeling nature of their night together. Kagome was pregnant. He'd left the morning after, almost before dawn, unable to face her anger, or worse, her condescension. "I should see her," he muttered, moving further into the room. "Where is she?"

Other smells started to override the _sake_ in the air, and Inu-Yasha was almost sorry he asked. "Resting," Sesshoumaru informed him. Then his tone turned taunting. "We 'celebrated' her condition quite thoroughly. And of course, she tires more easily now." He drained the sake flask and flung it at the wall where it ripped through the delicate rice paper to shatter against the stone of an exterior wall.

"Kagome's going to shit a brick when she sees what you've done," Inu-Yasha gritted out, keeping a firm grip on his temper. A rare moment of insight allowed him to understand exactly what Sesshoumaru was feeling. He'd felt it himself, when Kagome had thrown in his face years ago that she was pregnant with the _taiyoukai's_ first true child.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru intoned, "is a very understanding woman; more so than either of us deserve. And you still have matters to attend to. Toutousai must be contacted, and provided with adequate material from which to craft a suitable sword." He pulled a small packet from inside the folds of his clothing and tossed it to Inu-Yasha.

This missile he caught, and unwrapped carefully, to reveal a long white fang, clearly pulled from his brother's mouth. "Why?" he asked, confused. "The pup's going to get the Tetsusaiga. Why would he need another _kiba?_ And shouldn't it be mine..." His voice drifted off as realization washed over him. "Oh, no... You bastard. What did you do to her?"

"Contrary to popular opinion, I do not desire your death. Or at least, not usually. Certainly not anytime soon enough to necessitate passing on your sword right away. And as to the other, anything I did to spare my mate pain or degradation is solely my own affair. You will have your _hanyou_ heir, capable of wielding Father's Steel-Cleaving Fang. Do not presume to hope for more." With that, Sesshoumaru lapsed into silence, leaning against the dais.

There was a brush of silk on straw behind him, and he turned to see Kagome slip into the room, white _yukata_ belted firmly closed under a loose kimono. He watched her as the moonlight touched her fair skin and tousled hair and realized that she was nearly glowing. "_Tadaima_," he said quietly.

"So I see. _Okaeri nasai_," she murmured. She slipped past him quietly, skirting him so that not even her shadow touched him, and knelt before Sesshoumaru, reaching out to touch his face and make him aware of her.

"It's cold tonight, my Lord. Come back to bed."

Never in his life had Inu-Yasha heard Kagome speak so formally, and he wondered for a moment if he had broken some part of her spirit yet again.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked, as if just seeing her.

"_Hai_. Come back to bed, _atashi no ai_. I can't sleep without you."

Sesshoumaru stood and walked out of the room, passing Inu-Yasha as if he weren't there. Kagome rose to follow, pausing for a moment next to him, but refusing to look at him.

"He told you what to do, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then do it. Bring the sword back with you. Maybe by then, I'll be able to look at you without wanting to throw up." She walked away, leaving Inu-Yasha alone in the dark.

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Kagome's spine stiffened at the sound of a familiar pair of feet crunching their way through the leaves of the orchard.

"Kagome!"

She turned slightly at Inu-Yasha's call, habitually pulling the edges of her over-kimono a little tighter, hiding the roundness of her frame in its soft folds. "You certainly took your time getting back," she commented, stepping back a little as he came closer.

He shied at the rebuke in her tone, stopping well out of arm's reach. "The _jijii_ took half-forever making the damned sword. Wanted to know why the hell I was bringing _Aniki's_ tooth as source material. Took for-damned-ever understanding things, too." He slid the second sheath riding at his waist free and held it out to Kagome, baring and inch or so of blade. "Cut yourself with it."

"What?"

Inu-Yasha sighed. "The _jijii_ said you have to cut yourself with it before it's complete. You don't have to cut anything off; just slice your finger or something."

She looked past him to where Sesshoumaru was approaching, deadly silent in spite of the autumn leaf-fall on the ground.

"It is normal," he said, taking the sword from Inu-Yasha's grip and approaching her. "A shallow cut will suffice. The blade will know the child's blood through you."

Kagome pursed her lips and nodded, sliding one finger along the shining edge. So sharp was the blade that she didn't realize she was cut until she saw the thin ribbon of blood stain the polished metal. The exposed metal flared pinkish-white for a moment, and once the light faded, Kagome could see that the blood had vanished. "Where did it go?"

"Into the blade," Sesshoumaru replied distractedly, pulling the rest of the blade free from the sheath. "Why a _wakizashi_?" he snapped to Inu-Yasha.

The hanyou shrugged. "The _jijii_ made the decision. He said he couldn't see why anyone would have a use for two katana," he replied, aiming a pointed look at the mis-matched hilts at Sesshoumaru's waist. "Anything else?" he asked, taking the short sword back and settling it back into place next to Tetsusaiga.

'It has a name, I assume?" Sesshoumaru sniffed.

Inu-Yasha gestured to Kagome. "Ask her. I'm sure she knows it already."

"Kagome?" he asked gently.

Kagome was still there, she was sure, but she felt disconnected, apart from the mild sibling rivalry occurring around her. "Hamaiga," she whispered.

"The Demon-Rending Fang. Appropriate, to protect the child of a miko," Sesshoumaru concluded, moving to cradle Kagome possessively from behind.

"Yeah, whatever," Inu-Yasha muttered, the subject starting to circle emotions he was reluctant to confront. "The damned _jijii_ had me stoking the fire for his fucking forge for more than a month. I'm going to bed."

He was turning away when Kagome trilled his name. "Inu-Yasha?"

He turned back. "What?"

"I'm dying for some peaches, Inu-Yasha. I can't tell you how happy it would make me to have some right now."

He scuffed at the crackling leaves around his feet. "It's a little late in the season here, isn't it?"

"I know. But I really want them." There was a glint in her eye now, almost a challenge.

"They may still be in season in Kyushu," Sesshoumaru offered blandly.

"Fuck." Inu-Yasha's shoulders slumped, defeated. "Fine. Peaches from Kyushu. You want anything else while I'm there?"

"Not really. A surprise, maybe. Make sure they're a little green. I want them to crunch when I bite into them."

Inu-Yasha shuddered, but didn't argue. "The surprise will be me actually finding them."

"A pregnant bitch must be humored, Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru patronized. "You should hurry. Summer even in the south won't last much longer."

"Yeah, right," he said turning to leave again, this time heading for the wall circling the gardens in the distance. "_Ja ne_."

Kagome waited until he was clear of the wall before relaxing back in Sesshoumaru's grip. "That bought us a few more days, at the least. Maybe even two weeks."

Her mate followed the constant motion beneath the skin of her rounded abdomen. "We shall have to think of something else to drive him off when he returns."

Kagome let her hands slide up his arms until they were wrapped behind his neck. "Maybe the Northern borders will need patrolling by then."

He leaned down to nuzzle her neck, inhaling the fragrant perfume of hormones she gave off. "I can almost guarantee it."

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Sesshoumaru looked up from where he sat behind Kagome, holding her up as she panted. "You are satisfied then, Inu-Yasha? You make no further claim on my mate whatsoever?"

Inu-Yasha couldn't tear his eyes from the black-haired infant squirming restlessly in his arms. "What? No. Nothing more. She's done more than enough." He shifted the little boy until he could get a hand free to trace the delicate fingers, and smiled when his own finger was wrapped in a warm infant grip. "Hey, you. You're pretty strong for a little pup."

Sesshoumaru curled back over Kagome, forcing her to curl up as well, and murmured in her ear. "Now, _koi_. It's safe. Do it now."

Inu-Yasha's contemplation of the baby was shattered when Kagome let loose an ear-rending shriek in counter-point to Sesshoumaru's growl and delivered another infant into the hands of the waiting midwife. He watched, stunned, as the _taiyoukai_ slid out from behind Kagome and helped her to recline comfortably, then moved to the foot of the bed to accept the still, silent bundle from the solemn midwife.

"Oh, shit," he muttered, cradling his own squirming bundle closer as Sesshoumaru knelt near Kagome's head, stroking her face with one hand. She stirred restlessly under his touch but didn't wake, clearly exhausted by the ordeal.

"She is very weak, My Lord," the midwife stated quietly. "It is, of course, your decision, but it might be best for Kagome-sama to concentrate her energy on the boy instead, as he seems very healthy already..."

Sesshoumaru refused to grace her with so much as a glance. "See to Kagome-sama's needs. By law, the girl has a month to improve, and I will not deny her that. Kagome, you should see her," he went on, attention focused once more on his mate. "She is as beautiful as you."

"What's wrong?" Inu-Yasha asked the midwife, trying not to look as she cleaned away the evidence of Kagome's labor.

"The girl-child is very weak, barely breathing," the woman said softly, trying not to catch Sesshoumaru's attention. "I fear she will not survive until dawn."

Inu-Yasha blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the situation. Another woman he loved, another life over before it could even begin. Did the _kami_ just hate him, was that it? There was a soft melodic piping tickling his ears, and he flicked them, trying to ignore the sound, until he remembered the first time he'd heard it, waiting around for Tetsusaiga's sheath to be repaired, talking to Myouga, Shippou, and Kagome, and his eyes went wide in realization.

"Fuck, no! Kagome, wake up!" he shouted.

Sesshoumaru turned to glare at him, eyes starting to bleed red, growling low in his throat.

"Cut that out!" Inu-Yasha demanded. "There's no time. The Tatarimokke's coming for her." He gestured to the infant in Sesshoumaru's arms. "You've got to wake her up!"

"Even I cannot change fate, brother. Would you have her watch as the child's soul is taken? I cannot be that cruel."

"Then get your damned sword and do something."

"There must be some will in the target to live, Inu-Yasha. She lacks even that slim hope."

Inu-Yasha snarled. "Damn you for a quitter, then." He kicked the futon frame, and Kagome stirred more. "Wake up, wench. That Soul Piper's coming for your baby. You gonna let him have her?"

Sesshoumaru would have tackled him had it not been for the infants they both held, and that fact alone held him back as Kagome's eyes opened, squinting at first, then growing wider as the piping music grew louder. "No," she murmured, still half-asleep. "Go 'way."

"Make him, Kagome," Inu-Yasha urged. "You stopped him before."

"_Youki_... can't..." He head rolled toward Sesshoumaru. "She's...?"

"She's very small, Kagome. Very weak." He was starting to understand Inu-Yasha's desperation as the piping music grew louder. "I would not have forced you to see her if she would not be staying with us." He turned the baby a little, so Kagome could see her tiny face.

She reached out and brushed the thin dark fuzz on the baby's head. "Human."

"Yes, until dawn." He didn't state the obvious, that dawn was too far away now to help her.

"No," Kagome stated, quiet but firm. "He can't have her." She let her hand rest on the girl's head and closed her eyes. Then a flash of rose light erupted from them, forcing everyone to hastily shut their eyes to avoid being blinded.

Inu-Yasha cracked an eye open when he heard a baby coo, but it wasn't the son he had clutched to his chest. Instead, he looked over to see Sesshoumaru, staring at a white-haired _youkai_ infant in his arms, amazed.

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Kagome looked into her tiny daughter's pale blue eyes again. "They aren't changing at all," she commented, shifting the little girl down to finish her meal. "She's going to have blue eyes."

"So it would appear," Sesshoumaru agreed from across the room. "Sorame, then?"

"I suppose. Since Midori's probably out. You're going to have to take my blue _uchikake _and have it added, you know. I want her name on there. And please tell me Inu-Yasha has made up his mind. 'My boy' is getting old, and frankly, a bit irritating."

"He has, indeed. And before I finished drawing Toukijin, even. He chose Tenkashi. 'Divine Gift from Heaven.'"

"That's not too bad," Kagome mused, brushing her fingers over Sorame's azure-striped cheek, encouraging her to eat. "Just a little more, sweetheart," she murmured, then looked up at Sesshoumaru. "She looks like your mother, you realize."

"That does not mean there is any reason for Tettsume to see her. The further that particular bitch is from my children, the better."

"True," Kagome said, passing the baby into her father's practiced grip. "What about this visit you were talking about?"

"Ryuujin and Kazegawa should arrive in a few weeks. _Ojii-sama_ has made discreet inquiries about advancing Ryuujin to a position as heir." He shifted a squirming Sorame expertly as she brought up a tiny bubble of air.

"Then Kazegawa's the girl they want to give us for Sesshouinu?"

"Hai. She is Ryuujin's younger sister."

Kagome shifted, suppressing a wince. "Two very direct ties to the _Kita_. It doesn't seem very smart if we're trying to distance ourselves from the North."

"Ginkitsu has a great-granddaughter he wants to offer for Taishomaru. It would provide a link with the South. I understand from him that the girl's father would be a pleasant surprise for you."

Kagome frowned, fussing with the collar of her yukata. "And have you found a suitable mate for Sorame as well? I don't like the idea of selling out children off willy-nilly to the various great houses. Shouldn't they have some say in it? And Taisho-chan still thinks girls have fleas."

"Kazegawa will become _Nishi_ if we agree. And it is a compliment to you that so many of the great houses are seeking alliance with us now. Ginkitsu will agree to settle his seat on Taishomaru in exchange for the match." He sat on the edge of the futon, careful not to disturb his still-tender mate, or the daughter who was sliding quickly toward sleep. "_Youkai_ do not seek mates for love, Kagome. You know this."

"Yeah, but it's a nice side-benefit," she murmured, slipping further beneath the covers to sleep.

Sesshoumaru waited until she was well and truly asleep before stretching out next to her, Sorame carefully cuddled between them to keep her warm. "_Aa_. That it is, _koi_. That it is."


	2. AN

**A.N.**

I have decided to finally start rewriting my story The Truth. I desperately need a beta so if you'd like to beta my story(s) it's up to you,) please give send me a pm or an email at . I'd love help with the three stories that I'm working on including Maybe I Can Go On, I'm not much of a writer so please give it thought, and I'd love a veteran writer's help. But any help that I get is awesome. Thank you so much.


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